Saifuddin: Children of Muslim Malay-foreign marriages may be registered as Malay, but foreign spouses won’t get Bumiputera status

In a recent parliamentary response, Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail clarified that foreign nationals marrying Muslim Malay citizens do not automatically receive a change in ethnicity or qualify for Bumiputera privileges.

The National Registration Department (JPN) does not alter a foreign national's lineage based on marriage, as Bumiputera status and associated benefits are governed by specific laws and criteria outside its jurisdiction.

While the ethnic classification of a foreign spouse remains unchanged, children from such unions can be registered under either parent's lineage, impacting their eligibility for various socio-economic benefits.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — Foreign nationals who marry Muslim Malay citizens in Malaysia will not automatically see their ethnicity altered or qualify for special Bumiputera privileges, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said in a written parliamentary reply.

He stressed that the National Registration Department (JPN) does not reclassify a foreign national’s ancestral lineage based solely on marriage, amid persistent questions around the legal and administrative status of cross-border marriages.

“Determining whether an individual holds Bumiputera status, as well as their eligibility to enjoy rights or privileges allocated to Bumiputera, falls outside JPN’s jurisdiction,” Saifuddin said in the written reply dated October 12.

“This is because such matters remain governed by specific laws, policies, and criteria set by the respective agencies or relevant authorities,” he added.

Pang Hok Liong (PH-Labis) had asked the minister whether Muslim foreign nationals could claim Bumiputera status upon marrying local Malay citizens, and what conditions, if any, govern eligibility for affirmative action privileges.

While the foreign spouse retains their original ethnic classification, Saifuddin said children born to a legally recognised marriage between a local and a foreign national enjoy flexibility regarding registration.

Parents can choose to register the child’s lineage following either the mother or the father, meaning the child may legally inherit Malay lineage or that of the foreign parent, subject to registration guidelines.

In Malaysia, ethnic classification and Bumiputera status carry significant legal and socio-economic weight, governing access to government quotas, housing discounts, public university admissions, and specialised financial instruments like Amanah Saham Bumiputera.

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马来西亚内政部长拿督斯里赛夫丁·纳苏蒂安·伊斯梅尔在最近的一次议会回应中澄清，外国公民与马来穆斯林公民结婚不会自动改变其种族，也不会获得土著特权。

国民登记局（JPN）不会因婚姻而改变外国公民的血统，因为土著身份和相关福利受其管辖范围之外的特定法律和标准的约束。

虽然外国配偶的民族分类保持不变，但此类婚姻所生的子女可以登记在父母任何一方的血统下，这会影响他们获得各种社会经济福利的资格。

吉隆坡，10月13日讯——马来西亚内政部长拿督斯里赛夫丁·纳苏蒂安·伊斯梅尔在一份书面国会答复中表示，外国公民与马来西亚穆斯林马来公民结婚，其种族不会自动改变，也不会获得土著特权。

他强调，尽管跨境婚姻的法律和行政地位一直备受质疑，但国民登记局（JPN）不会仅仅因为婚姻就重新划分外国公民的血统。

赛夫丁在10月12日的书面答复中表示：“确定一个人是否具有土著身份，以及他们是否有资格享受分配给土著的权利或特权，这超出了JPN的管辖范围。”

“这是因为此类事项仍然受相关机构或有关当局制定的具体法律、政策和标准的约束，”他补充道。

彭学良（希望联盟-拉比斯）曾询问部长，穆斯林外国公民与当地马来公民结婚后是否可以申请土著身份，以及享受平权行动特权的资格条件是什么。

赛夫丁表示，虽然外籍配偶保留其原有的民族身份，但本地人和外籍人士通过合法婚姻所生的孩子在登记方面享有灵活性。

父母可以选择将孩子的血统登记为母亲或父亲的血统，这意味着孩子可以合法继承马来血统或外国父母的血统，但需遵守登记准则。

在马来西亚，种族分类和土著身份具有重要的法律和社会经济意义，决定着人们获得政府配额、住房折扣、公立大学入学资格以及土著信托基金等特殊金融工具的权利。

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