Fresh hope for Indian-Malaysian woman to have her Malaysian citizenship restored

PETALING JAYA - Malaysia’s Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) will be meeting with officers from the Home Ministry to discuss the case of a Malaysia-born woman who has been living in limbo for the past eight years, after losing her citizenship when her name appeared in a voter registration list in India.

In 2002, Mageswari Koothan received a notice from the National Registration Department telling her that she was no longer a Malaysian after it found she was registered as a voter in India.

The 52-year-old, who stayed in India after marrying an Indian national at 16, has been returning to Malaysia regularly.

Suhakam commissioner James Nayagam said it would be meeting the officers next week.

“We will discuss under what circumstances her citizenship was revoked. This is quite a disturbing situation because a citizen could lose her citizenship so easily,” The Star quoted Nayagam, as saying.

Nayagam said he found the department’s reason for revoking the citizenship “unreasonable” and “unacceptable.” (ANI)