TAN JUN YAN v 1. ) KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA 2. ) MENTERI DALAM NEGERI MALAYSIA 3. ) Kerajaan Malaysia

w-01a-254-05-2023 Court of Appeal (Mahkamah Rayuan) 9 December 2025 • W-01(A)-254-05/2023 • 26 min read
9 cases cited (0 SG, 9 foreign)

Outcome

For these reasons, we allow the defendants’ appeal and set aside the learned Judge’s declaratory order concerning the plaintiff’s citizenship under Article 14(1)(b), read together with Section 1(e) and Section 2(3) of the Second Schedule to the Federal Constitution. We make no order as to costs.

Quoted verbatim from the judgment of Court of Appeal (Mahkamah Rayuan) (w-01a-254-05-2023). Read the full judgment on the official Malaysia Courts portal for the complete decision.

Catchwords

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: Citizenship — Citizenship by operation of law — Child born within the Federation — Abandoned child — Meaning of "found exposed" under Section 19B, Part III of the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution — Whether there was a material break in the chain of evidence regarding the child’s abandonment at a temple — Whether the statutory presumption of citizenship could be invoked in the absence of proof of the place of finding — Federal Constitution, Article 14(1)(b) read with Section 1(a) and Section 19B of the Second Schedule— Adopted child — Whether the term "parents" in Section 1(a), Part II of the Second Schedule includes adoptive parents — Whether the Adoption Act 1952 can confer citizenship on an adopted child — Relationship between subsidiary legislation and the Federal Constitution — Principle that citizenship qualifications must be met at the time of birth — Federal Constitution, Article 14(1)(b) read with Section 1(a) of the Second Schedule; Adoption Act 1952, ss. 9, 25A --- Requirements of jus soli and jus sanguinis — Child born in the Federation but with unknown biological parents — Interpretation of "not born a citizen of any country" under Section 1(e), Part II of the Second Schedule — Burden of proof on the applicant to establish lineage and parentage — Whether birth within the Federation alone is sufficient to satisfy the requirement — Whether the lack of evidence of foreign citizenship equals statelessness — Federal Constitution, Article 14(1)(b) read with Section 1(e) of the Second Schedule. STATUTORY INTERPRETATION: Federal Constitution — Second Schedule, Part II, Section 2(3) — Purpose and operation of the provision — Whether failure to acquire foreign citizenship within one year of birth creates a presumption of statelessness — Whether Section 2(3) functions as a timing presumption for citizenship acquisition rather than a substantive right to citizenship.

Practice Areas

Constitutional Law

Judges (3)

Azhahari Kamal bin Ramli Coram Azizah binti Haji Nawawi Delivered Mohd Nazlan bin Mohd Ghazali Coram

Counsel (6)

Jabatan Peguam Negara Firm Mah Weng Kwai & Associates Firm Agalya A/P Munusamy Counsel Appellant Alyssa Dalila Binti Badli Esham Counsel Appellant Mohammad Sallehuddin Bin Md Ali Counsel Respondent Raymond Mah Mun Kitt Counsel Appellant

Parties (4)

KETUA PENGARAH JABATAN PENDAFTARAN NEGARA Respondent Kerajaan Malaysia Respondent Menteri Dalam Negeri Malaysia Respondent Tan Jun Yan Appellant

Statutes Cited

Evidence Act 1950
s 103
Federal Constitution
Art 14

Cases Cited (9)

MY (9)
[2008] 3 MLJ 625 [2008] 5 CLJ 42 [2016] 7 MLJ 717 [2017] 3 MLJ 308 [2017] 5 MLJ 662 [2018] 6 MLJ 548 [2021] 4 MLJ 236 [2022] 1 MLJ 71 [2023] 3 MLJ 227

Judgment

Read the full judgment on the official Malaysia Courts portal.

Read on eJudgment

Source: eJudgment (w-01a-254-05-2023)