LETTER | Our own backyard is where human rights matters most

LETTER | The Coalition of Malaysian NGOs for the UPR Process (Comango) congratulates Malaysia on its successful bid in securing one of the 18 seats in the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) for the 2022-2024 term.

While the achievement is widely cherished by all, we would like to remind the government that the election in itself is not a reward or prize for having an excellent human rights record at home.

Many countries that are outright violators of human rights are or have been members of the HRC.

We acknowledge that it is outlandish to expect a nation to have a perfect human rights record; however, Malaysia’s human rights record for one is vastly disappointing, to say the least.

Now that the Malaysian government is part of the HRC, we would like to remind the prime minister and his government of their pledges to uphold human rights in Malaysia.

Pledges alone do not suffice until they are translated into actions. On that basis, we hope that the Malaysian government will fulfill its commitments and pledges as announced before, especially:

1. Take a whole-of-society approach in the promotion and protection of human rights in the country, primarily in the assessment, monitoring, and implementation of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) recommendations.

We note that not all government ministries engage with civil society organisations (CSOs). Even within the government, contestation exists between different ministries on how to approach human rights.

We call upon the government to enable constructive consultation with civil societies on important decision-making processes. The practice of shifting/passing responsibilities must come to an end.

2) Continue to engage constructively with the Human Rights Council (HRC) which includes acceding to international core human rights treaties.

Malaysia should not hesitate to adopt international standards into our domestic laws and policies that can enhance Malaysia’s human rights practice.

3) Implement policies and legislations that promote and protect the rights of the most vulnerable groups.

The recent governments seem to be implementing policies that are popular amongst the majority.

We urge the government of Malaysia today and in the future to challenge the narrative in executing difficult decisions to ensure the marginalised are afforded similar protection of rights as the majority.

4) Intensify efforts to promote a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment and improve understanding of the effects of climate change on the enjoyment of human rights.

This can be implemented through what has been mapped out in the 12th Malaysia Plan with regards to developing Malaysia holistically. A developed nation should not only be measured by the strength of its economy alone.

We, therefore, call upon the Malaysian government to utilise the opportunity of being in the Human Rights Council to work together to strengthen human rights in our nation.

If the prime minister is serious in nurturing a “Keluarga Malaysia” (Malaysian Family), this is an opportune time for the government to pay attention to the critical voices of civil societies as well as the rakyat who have been advocating long-standing issues that have affected Malaysia’s growth.

The government should encourage Malaysian CSOs to keep the government in check on their pledges and commitments, and not detest critical voices or try to silence them.

It is time for courage among Malaysian political leaders to stand up and speak out against negative and regressive voices against human rights in the country that hide and mask themselves in the name of race and religion to limit the scope of human rights application.

Human rights should be for all human beings in Malaysia irrespective of any affiliation and identities. Silence is no longer an option if we are to stand tall in our role as a global leader in the United Nation on human rights.

We, the civil society in Malaysia, place high expectations on the Malaysian government to use its membership in the HRC to make significant improvements and advancements to its human rights track record in its own backyard, even as it seeks to participate in and contribute to the human rights dialogue internationally.

Remember, human rights is a cornerstone principle for all and should be upheld by all, especially by those in authority.

Comango was formed by civil society organisations in 2008 to engage in the UN's UPR. It is one of the biggest civil society coalition of its kind in the UPR process, comprising 42 organisations. Empower acts as co-secretariat for Comango, with Suaram.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.