Malaysia’s Citizenship Laws Are Sexist

When Josil Murray, a Malaysian conservation consultant based in Thailand, became pregnant with her first child last year, she tried to make plans to return to her home country. Unlike Malaysian men, Malaysian women do not automatically pass on their citizenship to their children born abroad. As the coronavirus pandemic set in, Josil couldn’t find any flights home. When Malaysia Airlines resumed service in July 2020, Josil applied for permission for her British husband to enter the country, which had closed its borders. She was rejected twice.

Hemmed in by difficult circumstances and afraid to risk an extended separation, Josil stayed in Thailand to deliver her baby with her husband by her side. “It was a good decision because my daughter arrived three weeks early, so I would still have been in quarantine had I decided to fly