Human rights in Malaysia
Encyclopedia
The situation of human rights in Malaysia is controversial as there have been numerous allegations of human rights
abuses in the country. Human rights groups and foreign governments are generally critical of the Malaysian government and the Royal Malaysian Police
. Preventive detention laws such as the Internal Security Act
and the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 allow for detention without trial or charge and as such are a source of concern for human rights organisations like SUARAM
.
In 2009, Malaysia was ranked 131st out of 175 nations by Reporters Without Borders
in the Press Freedom Index
.
In November 2007, two of the largest political rallies since 1998 took place in Kuala Lumpur challenging the government of Abdullah Badawi. The Bersih rally
was held on 10 November and the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) rally on 25 November. The Bersih rally was organised by a number of non-governmental organisations and opposition political parties to demand electoral reform in Malaysia and about 50,000 people took to the streets. The rally was attended by at least 10,000 protesters, mainly ethnic Indian, demanding equal social and economic rights from the Bumiputra
s. Tamil politicians in India such as Karunanidhi came out in support of the largely Tamil Indian population by demanding the Indian government take up their matter with their Malaysian counterparts.
In a letter dated 10 December 2007, the internal security ministry banned the Malay-language section of a Catholic weekly newspaper, the Catholic Herald due to its use of the word Allah
, resulting in the Allah Controversy.
ns, including many IT professionals, and allegedly defaced their passports, slapped and kicked several of them before releasing all but five later. This despite their having valid permits to work and live in the country.
Police carried out a dawn swoop in search of illegal immigrants on one high-rise apartment building in the ethnic Indian dominated neighbourhood of Brickfields in central Kuala Lumpur
.
Some showed they were working for companies registered in Malaysia's Multi-media Super Corridor, the information technology project zone running from Kuala Lumpur to the new development of Cyberjaya, some 45 minutes' drive away.
Infosys
Technologies chairman, N R Narayana Murthy, strongly criticised the ill-treatment of Indian IT professionals in Malaysia and asked the government to sort out the issue fast. http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2007/stories/20030411006513400.htmhttp://www.outlookindia.com/pti_coverage.asp?gid=254
report entitled 'A Blow to Humanity' criticises the increasing use of judicial canings in Malaysia and concludes the punishment "subjects thousands of people each year to systematic torture and ill-treatment, leaving them with permanent physical and psychological scars". The report describes the abuse: "In Malaysian prisons specially trained caning officers tear into victims’ bodies with a metre-long cane swung with both hands at high speed. The cane rips into the victim’s naked skin, pulps the fatty tissue below, and leaves scars that extend to muscle fibre. The pain is so severe that victims often lose consciousness."
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
abuses in the country. Human rights groups and foreign governments are generally critical of the Malaysian government and the Royal Malaysian Police
Royal Malaysian Police
The Royal Malaysia Police is a part of the security forces structure in Malaysia. The force is a centralised organization with responsibilities ranging from traffic control to intelligence gathering. Its headquarters is located at Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur. The police force is led by an...
. Preventive detention laws such as the Internal Security Act
Internal Security Act
The term Internal Security Act is often given to a piece of legislation laying down regulations that enable the executive government of a jurisdiction to preserve the internal security of the nation...
and the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 allow for detention without trial or charge and as such are a source of concern for human rights organisations like SUARAM
Suaram
SUARAM, or Suara Rakyat Malaysia, is a human rights organization in Malaysia created in 1987 after Operation Lalang, when 106 opposition, unions, activist leaders were detained without trial under the Internal Security Act...
.
In 2009, Malaysia was ranked 131st out of 175 nations by Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders is a France-based international non-governmental organization that advocates freedom of the press. It was founded in 1985, by Robert Ménard, Rony Brauman and the journalist Jean-Claude Guillebaud. Jean-François Julliard has served as Secretary General since 2008...
in the Press Freedom Index
Press Freedom Index
The Press Freedom Index is an annual ranking of countries compiled and published by Reporters Without Borders based upon the organization's assessment of their press freedom records. Small countries, such as Andorra, are excluded from this report...
.
Political controversies
There have been cases of flagellation in prisons and they were confirmed by the authorities.In November 2007, two of the largest political rallies since 1998 took place in Kuala Lumpur challenging the government of Abdullah Badawi. The Bersih rally
2007 Bersih rally
The 2007 Bersih Rally was a rally held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on November 10, 2007. The aim of this walk was to campaign for electoral reform...
was held on 10 November and the Hindu Rights Action Force (HINDRAF) rally on 25 November. The Bersih rally was organised by a number of non-governmental organisations and opposition political parties to demand electoral reform in Malaysia and about 50,000 people took to the streets. The rally was attended by at least 10,000 protesters, mainly ethnic Indian, demanding equal social and economic rights from the Bumiputra
Bumiputra
Bumiputera or Bumiputra is a Malay term widely used in Malaysia, embracing indigenous people of the Malay Archipelago. The term comes from the Sanskrit word bhumiputra, which can be translated literally as "son of land"...
s. Tamil politicians in India such as Karunanidhi came out in support of the largely Tamil Indian population by demanding the Indian government take up their matter with their Malaysian counterparts.
In a letter dated 10 December 2007, the internal security ministry banned the Malay-language section of a Catholic weekly newspaper, the Catholic Herald due to its use of the word Allah
Allah
Allah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
, resulting in the Allah Controversy.
Treatment of migrants
Malaysian police on 9 March 2003 rounded up around 27 IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
ns, including many IT professionals, and allegedly defaced their passports, slapped and kicked several of them before releasing all but five later. This despite their having valid permits to work and live in the country.
Police carried out a dawn swoop in search of illegal immigrants on one high-rise apartment building in the ethnic Indian dominated neighbourhood of Brickfields in central Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
.
Some showed they were working for companies registered in Malaysia's Multi-media Super Corridor, the information technology project zone running from Kuala Lumpur to the new development of Cyberjaya, some 45 minutes' drive away.
Infosys
Infosys
Infosys Limited, formerly Infosys Technologies Limited is a global technology services company headquartered in Bangalore, India. It is the second largest IT exporter in India with 133,560 employees as of March 2011. It has offices in 33 countries and development centers in India, China,...
Technologies chairman, N R Narayana Murthy, strongly criticised the ill-treatment of Indian IT professionals in Malaysia and asked the government to sort out the issue fast. http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2007/stories/20030411006513400.htmhttp://www.outlookindia.com/pti_coverage.asp?gid=254
Caning
A 6 December 2010 Amnesty InternationalAmnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
report entitled 'A Blow to Humanity' criticises the increasing use of judicial canings in Malaysia and concludes the punishment "subjects thousands of people each year to systematic torture and ill-treatment, leaving them with permanent physical and psychological scars". The report describes the abuse: "In Malaysian prisons specially trained caning officers tear into victims’ bodies with a metre-long cane swung with both hands at high speed. The cane rips into the victim’s naked skin, pulps the fatty tissue below, and leaves scars that extend to muscle fibre. The pain is so severe that victims often lose consciousness."
External links
- Review of Malaysia by the United Nations Human Rights CouncilUnited Nations Human Rights CouncilThe United Nations Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations System. The UNHRC is the successor to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights , and is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly...
's Universal Periodic Review, February 11, 2009 - Home for Human Rights
- Censorship in Malaysia - IFEXInternational Freedom of Expression ExchangeThe International Freedom of Expression eXchange , founded in 1992, is a global network of around 90 non-governmental organisations that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression....
- case studies relating to human rights violations in Malaysia especially with regard to police abuse and custodial deaths
- Malaysia: Human rights undermined: Restrictive laws in a parliamentary democracy - Amnesty InternationalAmnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...