PART I THE STATES, RELIGION AND LAW OF THE FEDERATION

 

Article 1: Name, States and territories of the Federation

1. (1) The Federation shall be known, in Malay and in English, by the name Malaysia.

(2) The States of the Federation shall be Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Pulau Pinang, Perak, Perlis, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor and Terengganu.

(3) Subject to Clause (4), the territories of each of the States mentioned in Clause (2) are the territories comprised therein immediately before Malaysia Day.

(4) The territory of the State of Selangor shall exclude the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur established under the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1973 [Act A206] and the Federal Territory of Putrajaya established under the Constitution (Amendment) Act 2001 [Act A1095] and the territory of the State of Sabah shall exclude the Federal Territory of Labuan established under the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1984 [Act A585], and all such Federal Territories shall be territories of the Federation.

Article 2: Admission of new territories into the Federation

2. Parliament may by law—

(a) admit other States to the Federation;

(b) alter the boundaries of any State,

but a law altering the boundaries of a State shall not be passed without the consent of that State (expressed by a law made by the Legislature of that State) and of the Conference of Rulers.

Article 3: Religion of the Federation

3. (1) Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation.

(2) In every State other than States not having a Ruler the position of the Ruler as the Head of the religion of Islam in his State in the manner and to the extent acknowledged and declared by the Constitution of that State, and, subject to that Constitution, all rights, privileges, prerogatives and powers enjoyed by him as Head of that religion, are unaffected and unimpaired; but in any acts, observances or ceremonies with respect to which the Conference of Rulers has agreed that they should extend to the Federation as a whole each of the other Rulers shall in his capacity of Head of the religion of Islam authorize the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to represent him.

(3) The Constitution of the States of Malacca, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak shall each make provision for conferring on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong the position of Head of the religion of Islam in that State.

(4) Nothing in this Article derogates from any other provision of this Constitution.

(5) Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall be the Head of the religion of Islam in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya; and for this purpose Parliament may by law make provisions for regulating Islamic religious affairs and for constituting a Council to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in matters relating to the religion of Islam.

Article 4: Supreme law of the Federation

4. (1) This Constitution is the supreme law of the Federation and any law passed after Merdeka Day which is inconsistent with this Constitution shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.

(2) The validity of any law shall not be questioned on the ground that—

(a) it imposes restrictions on the right mentioned in Clause (2) of Article 9 but does not relate to the matters mentioned therein; or

(b) it imposes such restrictions as are mentioned in Clause (2) of Article 10 but those restrictions were not deemed necessary or expedient by Parliament for the purposes mentioned in that Article.

(3) The validity of any law made by Parliament or the Legislature of any State shall not be questioned on the ground that it makes provision with respect to any matter with respect to which Parliament or, as the case may be, the Legislature of the State has no power to make laws, except in proceedings for a declaration that the law is invalid on that ground or—

(a) if the law was made by Parliament, in proceedings between the Federation and one or more States;

(b) if the law was made by Legislature of a State, in proceedings between the Federation and that State.

(4) Proceedings for a declaration that a law is invalid on the ground mentioned in Clause (3) (not being proceedings falling within paragraph (a) or (b) of the Clause) shall not be commenced without the leave of a judge of the Federal Court; and the Federation shall be entitled to be a party to any such proceedings, and so shall any State that would or might be a party to proceedings brought for the same purpose under paragraph (a) or (b) of the Clause.

PART II FUNDAMENTAL LIBERTIES

 

Article 5: Liberty of the person

5. (1) No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty save in accordance with law.

(2) Where complaint is made to a High court or any judge thereof that a person is being unlawfully detained the court shall inquire into the complaint and, unless satisfied that the detention is lawful, shall order him to be produced before the court and release him.

(3) Where a person is arrested he shall be informed as soon as may be of the grounds of his arrest and shall be allowed to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of his choice.

(4) Where a person is arrested and not released he shall without unreasonable delay, and in any case within twenty-four hours (excluding the time of any necessary journey) be produced before a magistrate and shall not be further detained in custody without the magistrate's authority:

Provided that this Clause shall not apply to the arrest or detention of any person under the existing law relating to restricted residence, and all the provisions of this Clause shall be deemed to have been an integral part of this Article as from Merdeka Day:

Provided further that in its application to a person, other than a citizen, who is arrested or detained under the law relating to immigration, this Clause shall be read as if there were substituted for the words “without unreasonable delay, and in any case within twenty-four hours (excluding the time of any necessary journey)” the words “within fourteen days”:

And provided further that in the case of an arrest for an offence which is triable by a Syariah court, references in this Clause to a magistrate shall be construed as including references to a judge of a Syariah court.

(5) Clauses (3) and (4) do not apply to an enemy alien.

Article 6: Slavery and forced labour prohibited

6. (1) No person shall be held in slavery.

(2) All forms of forced labour are prohibited, but Parliament may by law provide for compulsory service for national purposes.

(3) Work or service required from any person as a consequence of a conviction or a finding of guilt in a court of law shall not be taken to be forced labour within the meaning of this Article, provided that such work or service is carried out under the supervision and control of a public authority.

(4) Where by any written law the whole or any part of the functions of any public authority is to be carried on by another public authority, for the purpose of enabling those functions to be performed the employees of the first-mentioned public authority shall be bound to serve the second-mentioned public authority, and their service with the second-mentioned public authority shall not be taken to be forced labour within the meaning of this Article, and no such employee shall be entitled to demand any right from either the first-mentioned or the second-mentioned public authority by reason of the transfer of his employment.

Article 7: Protection against retrospective criminal laws and repeated trials

7. (1) No person shall be punished for an act or omission which was not punishable by law when it was done or made, and no person shall suffer greater punishment for an offence than was prescribed by law at the time it was committed.

(2) A person who has been acquitted or convicted of an offence shall not be tried again for the same offence except where the conviction or acquittal has been quashed and a retrial ordered by a court superior to that by which he was acquitted or convicted.

Article 8: Equality

8. (1) All persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law.

(2) Except as expressly authorized by this Constitution, there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion, race, descent, place of birth or gender in any law or in the appointment to any office or employment under a public authority or in the administration of any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property or the establishing or carrying on of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment.

(3) There shall be no discrimination in favour of any person on the ground that he is a subject of the Ruler of any State.

(4) No public authority shall discriminate against any person on the ground that he is resident or carrying on business in any part of the Federation outside the jurisdiction of the authority.

(5) This Article does not invalidate or prohibit—

(a) any provision regulating personal law;

(b) any provision or practice restricting office or employment connected with the affairs of any religion, or of an institution managed by a group professing any religion, to persons professing that religion;

(c) any provision for the protection, wellbeing or advancement of the aboriginal peoples of the Malay Peninsula (including the reservation of land) or the reservation to aborigines of a reasonable proportion of suitable positions in the public service;

(d) any provision prescribing residence in a State or part of a State as a qualification for election or appointment to any authority having jurisdiction only in that State or part, or for voting in such an election;

(e) any provision of a Constitution of a State, being or corresponding to a provision in force immediately before Merdeka Day;

(f) any provision restricting enlistment in the Malay Regiment to Malays.

Article 9: Prohibition of banishment and freedom of movement

9. (1) No citizen shall be banished or excluded from the Federation.

(2) Subject to Clause (3) and to any law relating to the security of the Federation or any part thereof, public order, public health, or the punishment of offenders, every citizen has the right to move freely throughout the Federation and to reside in any part thereof.

(3) So long as under this Constitution any other State is in a special position as compared with the States of Malaya, Parliament may by law impose restrictions, as between that State and other States, on the rights conferred by Clause (2) in respect of movement and residence.

Article 10: Freedom of speech, assembly and association

10. (1) Subject to Clauses (2), (3) and (4)—

(a) every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression;

(b) all citizens have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms;

(c) all citizens have the right to form associations.

(2) Parliament may by law impose—

(a) on the rights conferred by paragraph (a) of Clause (1), such restrictions as it deems necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof, friendly relations with other countries, public order or morality and restrictions designed to protect the privileges of Parliament or of any Legislative Assembly or to provide against contempt of court, defamation, or incitement to any offence;

(b) on the right conferred by paragraph (b) of Clause (1), such restrictions as it deems necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof, or public order;

(c) on the right conferred by paragraph (c) of Clause (1), such restrictions as it deems necessary or expedient in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof, public order or morality.

(3) Restrictions on the right to form associations conferred by paragraph (c) of Clause (1) may also be imposed by any law relating to labour or education.

(4) In imposing restrictions in the interest of the security of the Federation or any part thereof or public order under paragraph (a) of Clause (2), Parliament may pass law prohibiting the questioning of any matter, right, status, position, privilege, sovereignty or prerogative established or protected by the provisions of Part III, Article 152, 153 or 181 otherwise than in relation to the implementation thereof as may be specified in such law.

Article 11: Freedom of religion

11. (1) Every person has the right to profess and practice his religion and, subject to Clause (4), to propagate it.

(2) No person shall be compelled to pay any tax the proceeds of which are specially allocated in whole or in part for the purposes of a religion other than his own.

(3) Every religious group has the right—

(a) to manage its own religious affairs;

(b) to establish and maintain institutions for religious or charitable purposes; and

(c) to acquire and own property and hold and administer it in accordance with law.

(4) State law and in respect of the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya, federal law may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the religion of Islam.

(5) This Article does not authorize any act contrary to any general law relating to public order, public health or morality.

Article 12: Rights in respect of education

12. (1) Without prejudice to the generality of Article 8, there shall be no discrimination against any citizen on the grounds only of religion, race, descent or place of birth—

(a) in the administration of any educational institution maintained by a public authority, and, in particular, the admission of pupils or students or the payment of fees; or

(b) in providing out of the funds of a public authority financial aid for the maintenance or education of pupils or students in any educational institution (whether or not maintained by a public authority and whether within or outside the Federation).

(2) Every religious group has the right to establish and maintain institutions for the education of children in its own religion, and there shall be no discrimination on the ground only of religion in any law relating to such institutions or in the administration of any such law; but it shall be lawful for the Federation or a State to establish or maintain or assist in establishing or maintaining Islamic institutions or provide or assist in providing instruction in the religion of Islam and incur such expenditure as may be necessary for the purpose.

(3) No person shall be required to receive instruction in or take part in any ceremony or act of worship of a religion other than his own.

(4) For the purposes of Clause (3) the religion of a person under the age of eighteen years shall be decided by his parent or guardian.

Article 13: Rights to property

13. (1) No person shall be deprived of property save in accordance with law.

(2) No law shall provide for the compulsory acquisition or use of property without adequate compensation.

PART III CITIZENSHIP

 

Chapter 1—Acquisition of Citizenship

Article 14: Citizenship by operation of law

14. (1) Subject to the provisions of this Part, the following persons are citizens by operation of law, that is to say:

(a) every person born before Malaysia Day who is a citizen of the Federation by virtue of the provisions contained in Part I of the Second Schedule; and

(b) every person born on or after Malaysia Day, and having any of the qualifications specified in Part II of the Second Schedule.

(c) (Repealed).

(2) (Repealed).

(3) (Repealed).

Article 15: Citizenship by registration (wives and children of citizens)

15. (1) Subject to Article 18, any married woman whose husband is a citizen is entitled, upon making application to the Federal Government, to be registered as a citizen if the marriage was subsisting and the husband a citizen at the beginning of October 1962, or if she satisfies the Federal Government—

(a) that she has resided in the Federation throughout the two years preceding the date of the application and intends to do so permanently; and

(b) that she is of good character.

(2) Subject to Article 18, the Federal Government may cause any person under the age of twenty-one years whose parents one at least is (or was at death) a citizen to be registered as a citizen upon application made to the Federal Government by his parent or guardian.

(3) Subject to Article 18, a person under the age of twenty-one years who was born before the beginning of October 1962, and whose father is (or was at his death) a citizen and was also a citizen at the beginning of that month (if then alive), is entitled upon application made to the Federal Government by his parent or guardian, to be registered as a citizen if the Federal Government is satisfied that he is ordinarily resident in the Federation and is of good character.

(4) For the purposes of Clause (1) residence before Malaysia Day in the territories comprised in the States of Sabah and Sarawak shall be treated as residence in the Federation.

(5) The reference in Clause (1) to a married woman is a reference to a woman whose marriage has been registered in accordance with any written law in force in the Federation, including any such law in force before Merdeka Day, or with any written law in force before Malaysia Day in the territories comprised in the States of Sabah and Sarawak:

Provided that this Clause shall not apply where the woman applies to be registered as a citizen before the beginning of September 1965, or such later date as may be fixed by order of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and is at the date of the application ordinarily resident in the States of Sabah and Sarawak.

(6) (Repealed).

Article 15A: Special power to register children

15A. Subject to Article 18, the Federal Government may, in such special circumstances as it thinks fit, cause any person under the age of twenty-one years to be registered as a citizen.

Article 16: Citizenship by registration (persons born in the Federation before Merdeka Day)

16. Subject to Article 18, any person of or over the age of eighteen years who was born in the Federation before Merdeka Day is entitled, upon making application to the Federal Government, to be registered as a citizen if he satisfies the Federal Government—

(a) that he has resided in the Federation during the seven years immediately preceding the date of the application, for periods amounting in the aggregate to not less than five years;

(b) that he intends to do so permanently;

(c) that he is of good character; and

(d) that he has an elementary knowledge of the Malay language.

Article 16A: Citizenship by registration (persons resident in States of Sabah and Sarawak on Malaysia Day)

16A. Subject to Article 18, any person of or over the age of eighteen years who is on Malaysia Day ordinarily resident in the State of Sabah or Sarawak is entitled, upon making application to the Federal Government before September 1971, to be registered as a citizen if he satisfies the Federal Government—

(a) that he has resided before Malaysia Day in the territories comprised in those States and after Malaysia Day in the Federation for periods which amount in the aggregate to not less than seven years in the ten years immediately preceding the date of the application, and which include the twelve months immediately preceding that date;

(b) that he intends to reside permanently in the Federation;

(c) that he is of good character; and

(d) except where the application is made before September 1965, and the applicant has attained the age of forty-five years at the date of the application, that he has a sufficient knowledge of the Malay language or the English language or, in the case of an applicant ordinarily resident in Sarawak, the Malay language, the English language or any native language in current use in Sarawak.

Article 17: (Citizenship by registration (persons resident in the Federation on Merdeka Day)—Repealed)

17. (Repealed).

NOTE—There is a reference to repealed Art. 17 in Art. 25, 28, 28A and 43, hence reference to Article 17 is retained in the Federal Constitution.

Article 18: General provisions as to registration

18. (1) No person of or over the age of eighteen years shall be registered as a citizen under this Constitution until he has taken the oath set out in the First Schedule.

(2) Except with the approval of the Federal Government, no person who has renounced or has been deprived of citizenship under this Constitution or who has renounced or has been deprived of federal citizenship or citizenship of the Federation before Merdeka Day under the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1948 shall be registered as a citizen under this Constitution.

(3) A person registered as a citizen under this Constitution shall be a citizen by registration from the day on which he is so registered.

(4) (Repealed).

Article 19: Citizenship by naturalization

19. (1) Subject to Clause (9), the Federal Government may, upon application made by any person of or over the age of twenty-one years who is not a citizen, grant a certificate of naturalization to that person if satisfied—

(a) that—

(i) he is resided in the Federation for the required periods and intends, if the certificate is granted, to do so permanently;

(ii) (Repealed).

(b) that he is of good character; and

(c) that he has an adequate knowledge of the Malay language.

(2) Subject to Clause (9), the Federal Government may, in such special circumstances as it thinks fit, upon application made by any person of or over the age of twenty-one years who is not a citizen, grant a certificate of naturalization to that person if satisfied—

(a) that he has resided in the Federation for the required periods and intends, if the certificate is granted, to do so permanently;

(b) that he is of good character; and

(c) that he has an adequate knowledge of the Malay language.

(3) The periods of residence in the Federation or the relevant part of it which are required for the grant of a certificate of naturalization are periods which amount in the aggregate to not less than ten years in the twelve years immediately preceding the date of the application for the certificate, and which include the twelve months immediately preceding that date.

(4) For the purposes of Clauses (1) and (2) residence before Malaysia Day in the territories comprised in the States of Sabah and Sarawak shall be treated as residence in the Federation; and for the purposes of Clause (2) residence in Singapore before Malaysia Day or with the approval of the Federal Government residence in Singapore after Malaysia Day shall be treated as residence in the Federation.

(5) A person to whom a certificate of naturalization is granted shall be a citizen by naturalization from the date on which the certificate is granted.

(6) (Repealed).

(7) (Repealed).

(8) (Repealed).

(9) No certificate of naturalization shall be granted to any person until he has taken the oath set out in the First Schedule.

Article 19A: (Transfer of citizenship to or from Singapore—Repealed)

19A. (Repealed).

Article 20: (Naturalization of members of Federation forces—Repealed)

20. (Repealed).

Article 21: (General provisions as to naturalization—Repealed)

21. (Repealed).

Article 22: Citizenship by incorporation of territory

22. If any new territory is admitted to the Federation after Malaysia Day in pursuance of Article 2, Parliament may by law determine what persons are to be citizens by reason of their connection with that territory and the date or dates from which such persons are to be citizens.

Chapter 2—Termination of Citizenship

Article 23: Renunciation of citizenship

23. (1) Any citizen of or over the age of twenty-one years and of sound mind who is also or is about to become a citizen of another country may renounce his citizenship of the Federation by declaration registered by the Federal Government, and shall thereupon cease to be a citizen.

(2) A declaration made under this Article during any war in which the Federation is engaged shall not be registered except with the approval of the Federal Government.

(3) This Article applies to a woman under the age of twenty-one years who has been married as it applies to a person of or over that age.

Article 24: Deprivation of citizenship on acquisition or exercise of foreign citizenship, etc.

24. (1) If the Federal Government is satisfied that any citizen has acquired by registration, naturalization or other voluntary and formal act (other than marriage) the citizenship of any country outside the Federation, the Federal Government may by order deprive that person of his citizenship.

(2) If the Federal Government is satisfied that any citizen has voluntarily claimed and exercised in any country, being rights accorded exclusively to its citizens, the Federal Government may by order deprive that person of his citizenship.

(3) (Repealed).

(3A) Without prejudice to the generality of Clause (2), the exercise of a vote in any political election in a place outside the Federation shall be deemed to be the voluntary claim and exercise of a right available under the law of that place; and for the purposes of Clause (2), a person who, after such date as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may by order* appoint for the purposes of this Clause—

(a) applies to the authorities of a place outside the Federation for the issue or renewal of a passport; or

(b) uses a passport issued by such authorities as a travel document, shall be deemed voluntarily to claim and exercise a right available under the law of that place, being a right accorded exclusively to the citizens of that place.

(4) If the Federal Government is satisfied that any woman who is a citizen by registration under Clause (1) of Article 15 has acquired the citizenship of any country outside the Federation by virtue of her marriage to a person who is not a citizen, the Federal Government may by order deprive her of her citizenship.

*October 10, 1963—see L.N. 268/1963.

Article 25: Deprivation of citizenship by registration under Article 16A or 17 or by naturalization

25. (1) The Federal Government may by order deprive of his citizenship any person who is a citizen by registration under Article 16A or 17* or a citizen by naturalization if satisfied—

(a) that he has shown himself by act or speech to be disloyal or disaffected towards the Federation;

(b) that he has, during any war in which the Federation is or was engaged, unlawfully traded or communicated with an enemy or been engaged in or associated with any business which to his knowledge was carried on in such manner as to assist an enemy in that war; or

(c) that he has, within the period of five years beginning with the date of the registration or the grant of the certificate, been sentenced in any country to imprisonment for a term of not less than twelve months or to a fine of not less than five thousand ringgit or the equivalent in the currency of that country, and has not received a free pardon in respect of the offence for which he was so sentenced.

(1A) The Federal Government may by order deprive of his citizenship any person who is a citizen by registration under Article 16A or 17** or a citizen by naturalization if satisfied that without the Federal Government’s approval, he has accepted, served in, or performed the duties of any office, post or employment under the Government of any country outside the Federation or any political subdivision thereof, or under any agency of such a Government, in any case where an oath, affirmation or declaration of allegiance is required in respect of the office, post or employment:

Provided that a person shall not be deprived of citizenship under this Clause by reason of anything done before the beginning of October 1962, in relation to a foreign country, and before the beginning of January 1977, in relation to a Commonwealth country, notwithstanding that he was at the time a citizen.

(2) The Federal Government may by order deprive of his citizenship any person who is a citizen by registration under Article 16A or 17** or a citizen by naturalization if satisfied that he has been ordinarily resident in countries outside the Federation for a continuous period of five years and during that period has neither—

(a) been at any time in the service of the Federation or of an international organization of which the Federal Government was a member; nor

(b) registered annually at a consulate of the Federation his intention to retain his citizenship:

Provided that this Clause shall not apply to any period of residence in any Commonwealth country before the beginning of January 1977.

(3) (Repealed).

*NOTE—This Article has been repealed vide Constitution (Amendment) Act 1962 [Act 14/1962] w.e.f. 1 July 1963—see L.N. 105/1963. See also notes on Article 17.

**NOTE—This Article has been repealed vide Constitution (Amendment) Act 1962 [Act 14/1962] w.e.f. 1 July 1963—see section 5 of Act 14/1962. See also notes on Article 17.

Article 26: Other provisions for deprivation of citizenship by registration or naturalization

26. (1) The Federal Government may by order deprive of his citizenship any citizen by registration or by naturalization if satisfied that the registration or certificate of naturalization—

(a) was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or the concealment of any material fact; or

(b) was effected or granted by mistake.

(2) The Federal Government may by order deprive of her citizenship any woman who is a citizen by registration under Clause (1) of Article 15 if satisfied that the marriage by virtue of which she was registered has been dissolved, otherwise than by death, within the period of two years beginning with the date of the marriage.

(3) (Repealed).

(4) (Repealed).

Article 26A: Deprivation of citizenship of child of person losing citizenship

26A. Where a person has renounced his citizenship or been deprived thereof under Clause (1) of Article 24 or paragraph (a) of Clause (1) of Article 26, the Federal Government may by order deprive of his citizenship any child of that person under the age of twenty-one who has been registered as a citizen pursuant to this Constitution and was so registered as being the child of that person or of that person’s wife or husband.

Article 26B: General provisions as to loss of citizenship

26B. (1) Renunciation or deprivation of citizenship shall not discharge a person from liability in respect of anything done or omitted before he ceased to be a citizen.

(2) No person shall be deprived of citizenship under Article 25, 26 or 26A unless the Federal Government is satisfied that it is not conducive to the public good that he should continue to be a citizen; and no person shall be deprived of citizenship under Article 25, paragraph (b) of Clause (1) of Article 26, or Article 26A if the Federal Government is satisfied that as a result of the deprivation he would not be a citizen of any country.

Article 27: Procedure for deprivation

27. (1) Before making an order under Article 24, 25 or 26, the Federal Government shall give to the person against whom the order is proposed to be made notice in writing informing him of the ground on which the order is proposed to be made and of his right to have the case referred to a committee of inquiry under this Article.

(2) If any person to whom such notice is given applies to have the case referred as aforesaid the Federal Government shall, and in any other case the Federal Government may, refer the case to a committee of inquiry consisting of a chairman (being a person possessing judicial experience) and two other members appointed by that Government for the purpose.

(3) In the case of any such reference, the committee shall hold an inquiry in such manner as the Federal Government may direct, and submit its report to that Government; and the Federal Government shall have regard to the report in determining whether to make the order.

Article 28: Application of Chapter 2 to certain citizens by operation of law

28. (1) For the purposes of the foregoing provisions of this Chapter—

(a) any person who before Merdeka Day became a federal citizen or a citizen of the Federation by registration as a citizen or in consequence of his registration as the subject of a Ruler, or by the grant of a certificate of citizenship, under any provision of the Federation of Malaya Agreement 1948, or of any State law shall be treated as a citizen by registration and, if he was not born within the Federation, as a citizen by registration under Article 17*;

(b) a woman who before that day became a federal citizen or a citizen of the Federation by registration as a citizen, or in consequence of her registration as the subject of a Ruler, under any provision of the said Agreement or of any State law authorizing the registration of women married to citizens of the Federation or to subjects of the Ruler shall be treated as a citizen by registration under Clause (1) of Article 15;

(c) any person who before that day was naturalized as a federal citizen or a citizen of the Federation under the said Agreement or became a federal citizen or a citizen of the Federation in consequence of his naturalization as the subject of a Ruler under any State law shall (subject to Clause (2)) be treated as a citizen by naturalization, and references in those provisions to the registration or naturalization of a citizen shall be construed accordingly.

(2) No person born within the Federation shall be liable by virtue of this Article to be deprived of citizenship under Article 25.

(3) A person who on Merdeka Day became a citizen by operation of law as having been a citizen of the Federation immediately before that day shall not be deprived of citizenship under Clause (1) or (2) of Article 24 by reason of anything done on or before that day; but in the case of any such person Clause (2) of Article 25 shall apply equally in relation to a period of residence in foreign countries beginning before Merdeka Day and in relation to such a period beginning on or after that day.

*NOTE—This Article has been repealed vide Constitution (Amendment) Act 1962 [Act 14/1962] w.e.f. 1 July 1963—see section 5 of Act 14/1962. See also notes on Article 17.

Article 28A: Deprivation of citizenship of persons becoming citizens on Malaysia Day

28A. (1) (Repealed).

(2) For the purposes of Articles 24, 25, 26 and 26A a person who on Malaysia Day becomes a citizen by operation of law because immediately before that day he has the status of a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies shall be treated—

(a) as a citizen by registration if he acquired that status by registration; and

(b) as a citizen by naturalization if he acquired that status by or in consequence of naturalization;

and references in those Articles to the registration or naturalization of a citizen shall be construed accordingly.

(3) Where a woman is under this Article to be treated as a citizen by registration, and the status in consequence of which she is to be so treated was acquired by her by virtue of marriage, then for purposes of Clause (4) of Article 24 and Clause (2) of Article 26 she shall be treated as a citizen by registration under Clause (1) of Article 15.

(4) Where a person born before Malaysia Day is under this Article to be treated as a citizen by registration by virtue of a connection with the State of Sabah or Sarawak and he was not born in the territories comprised in the States of Sabah and Sarawak, Article 25 shall apply to him as if he were a citizen by registration under Article 16A or 17*.

(5) Notwithstanding that a person is under this Article to be treated as a citizen by naturalization, he shall not be deprived of his citizenship under Article 25 if he was born before Malaysia Day in the territories comprised in the States of Sabah and Sarawak and is to be so treated by virtue of a status acquired by or in consequence of naturalization in those territories.

(6) Without prejudice to the foregoing Clauses, where on Malaysia Day a person becomes a citizen by operation of law in virtue of any status possessed by him immediately before that day, but he was liable in respect of things done before that day to be deprived of that status under the law relating thereto, then the Federal Government may by order deprive him of his citizenship, if proceedings for that purpose are begun before September 1965; but Clause (2) of Article 26B and, subject to Clause (7), Article 27 shall apply to an order under this Clause as they apply to an order under Article 25.

(7) Where a person is liable to be deprived of citizenship under Clause (6) and proceedings had before Malaysia Day been begun to deprive him of the status in virtue of which he acquired his citizenship, those proceedings shall be treated as proceedings to deprive him of citizenship under that Clause, and shall be continued as such; but they shall be continued in accordance with the law relating to that status immediately before Malaysia Day, and the functions of the Federal Government in relation thereto shall be delegated to such authority of the State in question as the Federal Government may determine.

*NOTE—This Article has been repealed vide Constitution (Amendment) Act 1962 [Act 14/1962] w.e.f. 1 July 1963—see section 5 of Act 14/1962. See also notes on Article 17.

Chapter 3—Supplemental

Article 29: Commonwealth citizenship

29. (1) In accordance with the position of the Federation within the Commonwealth, every person who is a citizen of the Federation enjoys by virtue of that citizenship the status of a Commonwealth citizen in common with the citizens of other Commonwealth countries.

(2) Any existing law shall, except so far as Parliament otherwise provides, apply in relation to a citizen of the Republic of Ireland who is not also a Commonwealth citizen as it applies in relation to a Commonwealth citizen.

Article 30: Certificates of citizenship

30. (1) The Federal Government may, on the application of any person with respect to whose citizenship a doubt exists, whether of fact or of law, certify that that person is a citizen.

(2) A certificate issued under Clause (1) shall, unless it is proved that it was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or concealment of any material fact, be conclusive evidence that the person to whom it relates was a citizen on the date of the certificate, but without prejudice to any evidence that he was a citizen at an earlier date.

(3) For the purpose of determining whether a person was born a citizen of the Federation, any question whether he was born a citizen of another country shall be decided by the Federal Government, whose certificate thereon (unless proved to have been obtained by means of fraud, false representation or concealment of a material fact) shall be conclusive.

(4) (Repealed).

Article 30A: (Franchise, etc., of Singapore citizens and other citizens—Repealed)

30A. (Repealed).

Article 30B: (Liaison as to citizenship between governments of Federation and of Singapore—Repealed

30B. (Repealed).

Article 31: Application of Second Schedule

31. Until Parliament otherwise provides, the supplementary provisions contained in Part III of the Second Schedule shall have effect for the purposes of this Part.