FOREIGN Muslims who marry Malaysians of Malay descent do not automatically become Malay or acquire Bumiputera status, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said.
In a written parliamentary reply, Saifuddin said the National Registration Department (JPN) would not classify a foreign spouse as Malay solely based on the marriage.
He said determining whether an individual qualifies as Bumiputera, including eligibility for privileges reserved for the community, falls outside JPN’s jurisdiction.
“Such matters are subject to the laws, policies and conditions set by the relevant agencies or authorities,” he said.
Saifuddin was responding to Pang Hok Liong (PH-Labis), who sought clarification on whether foreign Muslims married to Malaysians of Malay descent could qualify for Bumiputera status and enjoy the associated rights and privileges.
He also asked what conditions would need to be met.
Saifuddin said children born from a legally recognised marriage between a foreign Muslim and a Malaysian of Malay descent could be registered under either parent’s ethnicity.
The parents may choose to register the child as Malay or under the foreign parent’s ethnicity, subject to the applicable registration requirements.
However, the option applies to the child’s registration and does not change the foreign parent’s ethnicity or automatically confer Bumiputera status on them.
Saifuddin reiterated that the relevant authorities must determine eligibility for Bumiputera rights and privileges in accordance with the laws, policies, and conditions governing such benefits. – October 13, 2026