While saying it was not disputed that Wong was born in Malaysia as stated in his birth certificate, Izhanudin cited a previous Federal Court decision as well as a constitutional provision to say that Wong as an illegitimate child should take on his mother’s nationality instead of his Malaysian father’s nationality.

Izhanudin was referring to Section 17 in Part III of the Second Schedule in the Federal Constitution, which provides references to an illegitimate person’s “father” or “parent” or “one of his parents” in the Constitution’s citizenship provisions will be interpreted as referring to the person’s mother.