ANY enactment of international law must not be in conflict with the Federal Constitution, the preservation of national sovereignty, the authority of the Malay Rulers and the authority of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA) and must not violate the people’s Fundamental Rights of Freedom.
Health Minister Dr Zalina Mustafa stated this in response to the issue raised by Setiu MP Shaharizukirnain Abdul Kadir on the Pandemic Treaty of the World Health Organization Convention Agreement (WHO CA+) and the amendment of the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005).
Any amendments to both the WHO CA+ and IHR2005 will not be done until April next year as the consultation is still ongoing.
“Therefore, it is not true that the agreements have been ratified as some have claimed,” she told FocusM. “The amendments are currently being discussed. Malaysia has attended seven out of 10 meetings for the WHO CA+ of which the last was being held from Nov 6-10. For the IHR, our representatives have also attended six out of eight sessions, the last being on Dec 7-8.”
According to Dr Zaliha, the IHR has been around since 1951 and amendments have been made several times in the past.
“However, I would like to reiterate that Malaysia will continue to defend the principles of justice and solidarity in global health administration,” she asserted. “Malaysia believes it is important for developed countries to help developing countries with the resources that they have. The distribution of resources must be fair and equitable.”
The participation of Malaysia in these negotiations is driven by the goal of building a stronger and more sustainable health care system.
“Malaysia recognises the need to develop capacity, strong collaboration and coordination among industries to improve preparedness for any future outbreaks,” she added. “This approach aims to ensure that health resources are equitable and globally accessible, contributing to a stronger health care system.”
In addition, Dr Zaliha said that the Health Ministry (MOH) prioritises transparency in delivering accurate information to the public.
“Public awareness campaigns and activities promoting a clear understanding of the processes taking place in inter-governmental negotiating body (INB) and Working Group on Amendments to the International Health Regulations (WGIHR) to the public can be seen through openness in negotiations and the availability of information on the WHO website.”
The MOH is currently actively engaging with 12 government agencies and ministries to examine the proposed amendments to IHR 2005 and WHO CA+. “No decision is made unilaterally,” added Dr Zaliha. – Dec 10, 2023
