stateless children Archives

The Incoming 3rd Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) for Malaysia at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva

25 Oct 2018259 Views0

In two weeks time, on the 8th of November 2018, an important proceeding will be taking place at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, in Geneva. Malaysia’s human rights practices will be scrutinised in a mechanism known as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). A multitude of recommendations are expected to be made by the UN member countries across the world, from the call for Malaysia to ratify various international human rights treaties to basic issues such as freedom of speech and religion, the rights of stateless persons and refugees, equality between the sexes, inter-ethnic harmony, and many more. MACSA, or in full the Malaysian Alliance of Civil Society Organisations in the UPR Process, will be sending a delegation of eight human rights defenders consisting of academics, ...

Press Statements

MACSA Supports Effort to Extend Basic Rights for Stateless and Refugees Children

Administrator

13 Oct 2018269 Views0

MACSA welcomes the move by the government to allow stateless children to register in national schools as announced by the Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching. Malaysia has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which is particularly important when it comes to access to education for stateless children because it explicitly obligates States to implement this right, in accordance with the principles of non-discrimination and the child’s best interests. This is also certainly a step forward in fulfilling our commitment to the 17 goals annunciated under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030, in adopting universal education for all. Citizenship requirement barrier has in the past restricted many stateless, migrant and refugees children from benefitin...

Press Statements

Tighten Regulations on Underage Marriage, Instead of One-Size-Fits-All Policy

Administrator

25 Jun 2018277 Views0

Underage marriage issue Underage marriages are strongly correlated with poverty and level of education. It happens in any society where there is an imbalance of wealth distribution, and children are the weakest fragment amongst the society and are normally the most victimised. We support measures to stop forced marriages that are potentially harmful especially to very young brides or grooms, physically or socially. We categorically condemn cases where girls were forced to marry much older men, and instances where young girls were treated as objects or commodities as their families try to escape poverty. However, a good policy addresses the needs of all segments of societies. It does not aim for one-size-fits-all solutions, especially in an issue as complex as marriages that are de