Any Malaysians out there who have had babies in NZ.

[Kea]

Our DD is almost a year and we are wondering whether to register her with the Malaysian embassy in Welly. But reading the forms it asks if we have applied for NZ citizenship or a NZ passport. We have a NZ passport and a NZ birth certificate for her. But have not specifically applied for citizenship.We had PR when she was born. I know the Malaysian do not allow dual citizenship and we'd prefer her to have kiwi/British rather than just Malaysian.

Has anyone registered a child born in NZ with the Malaysian Embassy while here? If so, what did you put on the form? We havent registered our marriage with them either so are due a big fine for that!

[JandM]

Just going on the logic of what you've written here - no direct knowledge of the Malyasian law whatever - aren't you already on a hiding to nothing? Your daughter IS a Kiwi citizen, by the fact that she was born in NZ to PR holders (no need of applying for anything), so if Malaysia don't allow dual citizenship, she can't have Malaysian citizenship as well.

[Kea]

Maybe. But we do have the option of being, ahhm, not entirely truthful on the form. We spoke to them about registering her when we tried and failed to register our marriage before she was born. They said she could be registered. I don't think registering is the same as applying for Malaysian citizenship. But it needs to be done before she is 1. Not sure how comfortable we are with this option.

[Kiwi Mac]

Just going on the logic of what you've written here - no direct knowledge of the Malyasian law whatever - aren't you already on a hiding to nothing? Your daughter IS a Kiwi citizen, by the fact that she was born in NZ to PR holders (no need of applying for anything), so if Malaysia don't allow dual citizenship, she can't have Malaysian citizenship as well.

I'd concur with that. She has a NZ passport - therefore she IS a NZ citizen.

However, many countries that do not recognise dual nationality in the main do make exceptions where a child has involuntarily obtained citizenship of a 'foreign' country - such as by being born overseas.

You would need to ask.

[JandM]

But if they ask, they'd have given themselves away.

Is there some big advantage to having Malaysian citizenship that you can foresee for her?

I can't help thinking, though, that if you obtain a statement that she is a Malaysian citizen by failing to declare something relevant, when it came to the crunch of wanting to claim something as a Malaysian, as soon as the case was looked at closely, the deception would come to light and the citizenship would be seen to be invalid anyway.

[Kea]

We don't really see a great benefit at the moment. But who knows what the world will be like when she is 25? Hopefully the Malaysians will have loosened up a bit by then and will allow dual nationality. We know a few people who have two passports and have not given up their Malaysian one. For some it is worth the risk as the other option is to give it up. I don't think the international systems are advanced enough to ''çatch' them. Yet....

I think we will just call and see what they have to say about the kiwi citizenship. OH really just wants her on the register rather than getting a passport at this stage.

[Kiwi Mac]

"Malaysia detects dual citizenship from reports by Malaysian diplomatic missions overseas, it’s Immigration Department, police and the National Registration Department."

I found that here

http://www.asianpacificpost.com/port...p_laws.do.html