Human
rights lawyer, activist and current president of the National Human
Rights Society (HAKAM) Malik Imtiaz Sarwar has been awarded the
champion of free expression by Index on Censorship. Index launched the Freedom of Expression Awards in
2000 to recognise free expression activity around the world and to
honour those who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion
of free expression. Since 2000, the awards have grown and are now
awarded in five categories: New Media (supported by The Economist). Law and Campaigning (supported by Bindmans), Journalism (supported by The Guardian), the Index Film Award and the T R Fyvel Book Award.
Malik
has been a central figure in fighting lawsuits brought against
journalists and bloggers, and was the lead counsel for Raja Petra
Kamaruddin, popular blogger and editor of Malaysia Today, whose release
he secured last year. In August 2006, a poster declaring him to be a
traitor to Islam and calling for his death was circulated in Malaysia.
He has proposed setting up an inter-faith council, and spoken in a
series of public forums on the need for religious freedom".
In conjunction with the event, Malik was asked to contribute a comment for the Guardian. This was the piece entitled "The Truth About Malaysia".
Malik said in his blog "Disquiet"
that "he was happy to have been nominated and given the award. It
presented an opportunity to bring to light the Malaysian situation, one
that sadly in the view of dispassionate and objective third parties
fits into the parameters of the award".
He added that "Being a
public interest advocate is at times one of the loneliest things that
one can do. Standing up against systemic repression and populist
sentiment is not the most popular thing one can do. And yet, it must be
done. In the short period that Malaysians stopped doing so, we lost the
Rule of Law. The consequences of this failure is the legacy that
younger Malaysians have inherited.
The award is a reminder that
no matter the specific nature of our respective struggles, the
underlying causes are universal. The truths that define us in Malaysia
are the same as those that define our friends in Egypt, Zimbabwe, the
Philippines or any other place. We each want to believe that each of
our futures is limited only by our ability to dream.
We must all keep on reaching for the stars. Our futures are written in them".
