• • • • • factors of migration. Work with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to ensure no corruption in the registration and documentation processes of stateless persons and those of Indonesian and Filipino origin in Sabah. Cooperate and collaborate with the Indonesian and Philippines embassies. Propose recommendations and increase efforts to discuss statelessness collectively at the ASEAN level. Use the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process to raise the issue of statelessness jointly with their respective governments. Initiate bilateral dialogues between Indonesia and Malaysia or between the Philippines and Malaysia on statelessness. 3.2 Recommendations i. SUHAKAM recommends the government accede to the Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons 1954 and Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness and Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees 1951 (Refugee Convention 1951). Securing accession to these international human rights instruments will ensure, as a minimum, that children will not arbitrarily be deprived of nationality. That they will be granted nationality under certain circumstances in which they might otherwise be stateless and adequate protection will be available to children who remain or become stateless. ii. Accession provides stateless individuals with many of the rights necessary to live a stable life. An increase in the accession and ratification of international instruments would act as an impetus for all States to reduce and eventually eliminate ‘stateless’ children. The prevention and reduction of statelessness is a contribution to the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms. iii. It is also vital to note the United Nations Committee’s recommendation on the Rights of the Child in its concluding observations on Malaysia at its 44th session. The Committee recommended that Malaysia implement an efficient and freeof-charge birth registration system, which covers its territory fully and undertake awareness-raising campaigns to reach the most 72 ANNUAL REPORT 2020