SUARAM, in conjunction with the launch of its "Malaysia Human Rights
Report 2008: Civil and Political Rights", today strongly urged the
government to urgently implement substantial legislative and institutional
human rights reforms.
(Source: FORUM-ASIA member SUARAM, 23 July 2009)
SUARAM, in conjunction with the launch of its "Malaysia Human Rights
Report 2008: Civil and Political Rights", today strongly urged the
government to urgently implement substantial legislative and institutional
human rights reforms.
In its annual report card on the situation of human rights in Malaysia, SUARAM
noted the new political realities, especially after the watershed 2008 General
Elections which saw the ruling-Barisan Nasional (BN) suffering its biggest loss
in Malaysian electoral history since 1969.
Under this backdrop, three main issues were highlighted by SUARAM:
- The increasingly lack
of accountability of law enforcement agencies, which has resulted in
serious human rights violations with impunity. - The heightened
politicisation of race and religion, which has further hampered the grave
state of human rights in the country. - The failure of the government
to heed strong calls and demands for reforms.
The
year 2008 was also the final year of Abdullah Badawi's premiership. According
to SUARAM, at the end of 2008, it was apparent that the BN government under the
leadership of Abdullah Badawi had failed to implement its many promises for
reforms. Much has happened since the end of 2008, including the change of
leadership of the country with Najib Razak taking over as the Prime Minister of
Malaysia. However, there has yet to be any substantial improvements where human
rights are concerned.
"Many pledges made by Abdullah Badawi since 2003, for instance reforming
the police force, have not yet been implemented. In fact, in many ways,
Malaysia's human rights record has gone from bad to worse. We are witnessing an
alarming number of deaths in police custody while substantial reforms on the
police force are still nowhere in sight," said SUARAM chairperson K.
Arumugam.
To read the complete statement, please click here (SUARAM website).
