Jus Sanguinis Jus Sanguinis, means the principle of determining a person’s citizenship through one or both of their parents’ citizenship. It means the “right of blood” and is also referred to as the principle of descent. Legal framework A "legal framework" refers to a structured and organised system of laws, regulations, rules, principles, and institutions that collectively govern various aspects of a society. It provides the foundation upon which a country's legal system operates, guiding the interactions and behaviours of individuals, organisations, and governments within that society. A legal framework sets out the structure for how laws are created, interpreted, enforced, and adjudicated. Orang Asli Orang Asli is a Malay term that means “original people”. It is used to refer to the indigenous ethnic groups of Peninsular Malaysia, who are among the oldest inhabitants of the region, along with the natives of Sabah and Sarawak in Sabah and Sarawak. Refugee The 1951 Refugee Convention defines a refugee as: “someone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion. Reservation A declaration made by a State by which it purports to exclude or alter the legal effect of certain provisions of a treaty in their application to that State. A reservation may enable a State to participate in a multilateral treaty as a whole by giving it the possibility not to apply certain provisions with which it does not want to comply. Reservations cannot be contrary to the object and purpose of the treaty. Furthermore, a treaty may prohibit reservations or only allow for certain reservations to be made. Stateless Article 1 (1) of the 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons defines a stateless person as ‘a person who is not considered as a national by any State under the operation of its law’. Statelessness in situ A working definition for in situ statelessness who are in their ‘own country’, meaning a country with which they have significant and stable ties through birth, long-term residence. Surat Pekeliling Ikhtisas No 1/2009 (Circular Letter No 1/2009) The ‘Surat Pekeliling Ikhtisas: Bil: 1/2009: Kemasukan Kanak-Kanak Warganegara Malaysia Tanpa Dokumen Ke Sekolah’ dated 11 March 2009, is a circular issued by the Office of DirectorGeneral of Education Malaysia stated that acceptance of undocumented individuals can be admitted to the government or government - aided schools provided that: - 1) either one of the child’s parent is a Malaysian citizen, and 2) there is a confirmation letter issued by the Village Chief to certify that the child is indeed a Malaysian citizen. Surat Siaran Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia Bil (3) Tahun 2018 The ‘Surat Siaran Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia Bil (3) Tahun 2018’ is a second circular issued by the Ministry of Education in 2018 stating the acceptance of certain categories of undocumented children can be admitted into government schools. This circular applies to a noncitizen child adopted by Malaysian citizens or child of a Malaysian father and a non-Malaysian mother born out of wedlock, or a non-citizen child whose parents are also non-citizens given that the parents are either foreign embassy staff, working at a government agency with valid work permit, permanent residents in Malaysia or foreign children sent to continue education in Malaysia as part of a government exchange programme. Syrian Migrants Temporary Relocation Programme (PPSMS) The Syrian Migrants Temporary Relocation Programme (PPSMS) is a programme initiated by the Malaysian government in 2015 to host 3000 Syrian refugees on a humanitarian basis for three years, as pledged during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in October 2015. The programme aims to provide temporary shelter, education, health care, and employment opportunities for Syrian refugees who have fled the civil war in their country. Undocumented children It includes both Malaysian and non-Malaysian children. The common feature is the absence of birth certificates or other legal identity documents. The undocumented children may have been born in Malaysia or may have come from other countries at some point of their life. Zero Reject Policy The Zero Reject Policy is a policy introduced by the Ministry of Education in Malaysia in December 2018 to enhance the implementation of the Education for All Policy in Malaysia. 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and Its 1967 Protocol6 The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol are the key legal documents that form the basis of the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). They have 149 State parties to either or both, and they define the term ‘refugee’ and outline the rights of refugees and the legal obligations of States to protect them. 1954 Convention relating to the Status of Stateless Persons7 The 1954 Convention provides the definition of a "stateless person" and the foundation of the international legal framework to address statelessness. 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness8 The 1961 Convention is the leading international instrument that sets rules for the conferral and non-withdrawal of citizenship to prevent statelessness. 6 https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-relating-status-refugees 7 https://www.unhcr.org/ibelong/wp-content/uploads/1954-Convention-relating-to-the-Status-of-Stateless-Persons_ENG.pdf 8 https://www.unhcr.org/ibelong/wp-content/uploads/1961-Convention-on-the-reduction-of-Statelessness_ENG.pdf 4