KUALA LUMPUR, 23 June 2009: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has promised to look into the Bar Council’s complaints about the arrest of five lawyers in May who tried to represent their clients at the Brickfields police station. “I have accepted this memo, and [the complaints] are in my jurisdiction, I […]
Suhakam
AI highlights racial discrimination in M’sia
By Gan Pei LingPETALING JAYA, 28 May 2009: For the first time in its annual human rights report for Malaysia, Amnesty International (AI) has highlighted racial discrimination as one of several human rights violations in the country. The 2009 report said that racial discrimination was institutionalised in Malaysia, particularly in government-backed affirmative action policies for bumiputeras such as […]
Women still discriminated in M’sia: Suhakam
PETALING JAYA, 27 May 2009: Although Malaysia ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw) in 1995, discrimination against women still exists in the country, especially in terms of promotion and recognition in the public and private sectors. This was revealed by Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) Commissioner […]
Suhakam: Let the people choose
KUALA LUMPUR, 12 May 2009: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) feels that the political crisis in Perak is not likely to be resolved unless power is given back to the people. “Perhaps the time has come for the people of Perak to be given the opportunity to exercise their right to choose again […]
Limited time for Suhakam to avert downgrading
NEW DELHI, 29 April 2009: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) is racing against time to prevent the organisation from being downgraded by an international human rights regulatory body on 3 May. Suhakam chairperson Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman said, the Accreditation Sub-Committee of the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion […]
ISA review: No need for public hearing
KUALA LUMPUR, 8 April 2009: Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said there is no need for a public hearing before carrying out a review of the Internal Security Act (ISA). He said that he personally believed that there had already been enough debates and discussions on the matter and materials collected on the […]
Islam and rule of law under Najib
By Zedeck Siew(al-Quran image by Crystalina @ Flickr; gavel image by mrbill @ Flickr; Najib image source: cidb.gov.my) NEW Malaysian prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak begins his administration with significant negative perception, as compared with previous power transitions. He realises this, and seems to be taking steps to counteract it, making symbolic gestures and speaking the […]
Suhakam Bill gets parliament nod
KUALA LUMPUR, 25 March 2009: The Human Rights Commission (Amendment) Bill 2009 was finally passed by the Dewan Rakyat after having faced numerous challenges, including undergoing voting twice, at the policy and committee stages, today. The first bloc voting was taken when opposition members voiced objections during the debate at the policy stage on the […]
Human Rights Commission Bill tabled
KUALA LUMPUR, 24 March 2009: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) (Amendment) Bill 2009, tabled for first reading in Dewan Rakyat today, will ensure more transparency in the appointment of members. The Suhakam bill was tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz. It proposed that members appointed should […]
EAIC hamstrung by lack of power
By Deborah LohPETALING JAYA, 17 March 2009: The proposed Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) is a stronger body than the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), but could suffer from irrelevancy just like the latter. This is because it still lacks the independence that is necessary for its role as investigator of misconduct and abuse to be taken […]
