KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) wishes to express its solidarity with the people of the United States of America for the memorial service for George Floyd held yesterday.
Suhakam said that it is an opportune time to remind Malaysians that ingrained racism, subtle forms of racial discrimination and related intolerance, occurs in Malaysia as well.
“Recent incidences include the proliferation of hate speech and racial stereotyping, the politicisation of race issues for personal agendas, as well as targeting refugees and migrant workers in social media attacks and petitions calling for their repatriation.
“Racism, xenophobia and intolerance elicit hatred and distrust, thereby precluding any attempts to understand circumstances of those at the receiving end, or efforts to create an empathetic, harmonious society,” it said in a statement today.
Suhakam also mentioned that Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set out therein, without distinction of any kind, in particular as to race, colour or national origin.
“Rather than debate whether racism exists in Malaysia, perhaps it is time to move beyond the surface of unity and dive deep to undo decades of systematic racial discrimination,” it said.
Suhakam also calls for each and every one of us to stand up against racial prejudice and intolerant attitudes as racism is morally wrong, in principle.
“The ability to look beyond religion, race, descent or place of birth is a what we need to cultivate in a multiracial society such as in Malaysia,” it said.
George Floyd, a 46-year old African-American man, died on May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as a result of police brutality specifically due to compression of his neck and back while he was lying face down handcuffed on the street. — Bernama
