2000 and 2009, only 1,806 were successful. Malaysia is one of 25 countries that does not give mothers and fathers equal rights under the country’s citizenship law. A landmark ruling by the Kuala Lumpur High Court in September 2021 ruled that Malaysian mothers to pass their citizenship to their children born overseas – a privilege previously only granted to fathers. The change helps ease access to residency, education and healthcare for families. It was hailed by activists as a giant step toward gender equality. On 17 February 2023, the Anwar Ibrahim Cabinet confirmed that it would amend the Malaysian Constitution to enable children born overseas to Malaysian mothers, who are married to foreigners, to obtain Malaysian citizenship automatically. Legislation amending the constitution is expected to be introduced in 2023. Relinquishment and deprivation Malaysian citizenship can be relinquished by making a declaration of renunciation. It is automatically revoked from Malaysians who voluntarily acquire a foreign nationality or reside overseas for more than five years and have not annually registered at a Malaysian diplomatic mission to retain citizenship (other than those employed in the civil service). Naturalised citizens may also be stripped of citizenship for: committing an act of disloyalty against the state, aiding an enemy nation with which Malaysia is at war, being sentenced to incarceration for longer than 12 months in any jurisdiction, serving in any capacity for a foreign government, or being fined RM5,000 for any offence within five years of acquiring citizenship. While holding multiple nationalities by birth is not technically prohibited by Malaysian law, a person who exercises any rights derived from those alternative statuses would be stripped of their Malaysian citizenship. This includes voting in elections or applying for passports in any jurisdiction outside Malaysia. Children who were registered as Malaysian citizens may also be deprived of their citizenship if a parent voluntarily renounces or is stripped of their citizenship. Sabah and Sarawak Permanent residency in the states of Sabah and Sarawak are distinct from the other 11 Malaysian states. While Sabah and Sarawak each has autonomy in immigration affairs (which includes imposing immigration restrictions on Peninsular Malaysia residents), permanent residents of Sabah and Sarawak are exempted from the immigration controls of their own states. A Malaysian citizen born to a Sabah or Sarawak permanent resident would have Sabah or Sarawak permanent residency, regardless of where the person was born. Birth in Sabah or Sarawak alone