KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — Malaysia urged Finland to rein in bigotry and the UK to protect its women during the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR) when its own record on human rights was under fire at home, a forum was told last night.
In the forum organised by Human Rights Movement (Proham) — a watchdog group made up of former human rights commissioners — it was also revealed that some countries, including Malaysia, have hijacked the process as a diplomatic exercise and heaped praise on the nations on review rather than offering valid criticism.
“Continued to face challenges in combating racism, intolerance and xenophobia, evident in increase in racist and xenophobic incidents and growing xenophobic attitudes in society,” said Malaysia’s recommendation for Finland in the latter’s review, as presented by lawyer Andrew Khoo.
“Take steps to ensure both legislative and non-legislative measures, including initiatives for the promotion of multi-culturalism, the protection of all religions and faiths and the non-escalation of hatred among people of different religions and faiths, based on the tenets of understanding, mutual acceptance and respect.”
Khoo, who is the co-chairman of the Bar Council Human Rights Committee, also revealed that Malaysia had recommended the United Kingdom to combat all forms of violence against women and girls, to ensure perpetrators of violence are taken to justice and punished.
Malaysia had also recommended Ecuador and Tunisia to undergo judicial reform, calling on the latter to “draft new legal provisions to ensure real independence of the judiciary” and “protect the rights and freedoms of individuals”.
Ecuador was also asked to consult its indigenous people; Bahrain was urged to ensure housing for its workers; and Malaysia had recommended that Morocco prevent sexual exploitation and trafficking of women and children.
The recommendations made by Malaysia were met with an uproar from the crowd, which called on Malaysia to “take a look in the mirror” and “not throw stones in a glasshouse”, among others.
In his speech earlier, Proham chairman Tan Sri Simon Sipaun lamented that issues of human rights have taken a back seat to diplomatic exercise in the United Nations (UN).
“The UN is a gathering place of diplomats representing all the 193 member-states. International matters and issues are traded and exchanged including those associated with human rights. In the process, very often the principles and spirit of human rights are given less attention,” said Sipaun.
“Praises are heaped upon Malaysia and its leadership in preference for political, economic, business, commercial and other considerations at the expense of realistic recognition of the sad state of human rights situation in the country. The promotion and protection of human rights is pushed to the back seat.”
Sipaun noted that Sarawak had even sent JC Fong, the former State Attorney-General and now state legal consultant to represent the state in Geneva, but had allegedly whitewashed the human rights conditions involving the indigenous people in the state.
“He portrayed a caring and responsible state government. He painted a very rosy picture of the life of displaced natives and that their standard of living had improved and were handsomely compensated,” Sipaun related.
A representative of rights watchdog Suhakam was also disappointed that much of the time had been taken by positive comments, leaving lesser time for constructive criticisms leading most countries to only touch on the issues at their surfaces.
“Being there for the first time ... my expectations were quite high, and I was somewhat disappointed that it went as how it went. It was a diplomatic exercise,” said Wan Kasim Wan Kadir, who also went to Geneva in October.
“A huge number of member countries which registered to speak in the UPR had resulted in less time for each countries to make their comments and recommendations. And the diplomatic exercise, members would make positive comments to the state under the review.”
Some 19 countries, including Muslim-majority Egypt, Algeria, Chad, Tunisia and Sierra Leone, wanted Malaysia to sign one or more of the six core international conventions on human rights which the Southeast Asian nation has yet to ratify.
Since 1995, Malaysia has ratified only three conventions: the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Malaysia must respond to the recommendations on or before the next time the Human Rights Council convenes, which is scheduled for March 2014.
Malaysia first came under the UPR review in February 2009, and consequently accepted 62 of the 103 recommendations issued by the UPR working group.
