THE Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) has urged the Government to put an immediate end to the intimidation and harassment of journalists, human rights defenders and other civil society actors in Malaysia who speak out, dissent and demand accountability including through the application of repressive laws.
This is in conjunction with this year’s International Human Rights Day which is commemorated globally on Dec 10 every year to honour the United National General Assembly’s adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on Dec 10, 1948.
“Throughout 2021, CIJ has observed and monitored a sharp increase in the usage of oppressive legislation such as the Sedition Act and the Communications and Multimedia Act to silence dissenting opinions and expressions,” the freedom of expression watchdog noted.
“Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have also observed the suspension or derogation of our fundamental human rights while navigating the COVID-19 pandemic.”
According to CIJ, as the country recently secured a seat in the United Nations Human Rights Council in Oct 2021 and has made public pledges to uphold human rights, the Government must take sincere and concrete action to improve its human rights record on home ground.
“This international commitment should not remain a mere façade but must be translated into real action and reform at national level,” it said in a statement.
“On a more positive note, we have seen the current Government’s commitment to moving ahead with plans to draft a federal right to information legislation that would promote our access to information and public data.
“We urge the State to show that the reform landscape in Malaysia is not dying, and they remain committed to good governance and accountability based on respect for universal human rights and freedom of expression, assembly, speech and right to information.”
In addition, the freedom of expression watchdog has also called for the implementation of an immediate moratorium on the use of and move towards the repeal of the Sedition Act 1948, the Official Secrets Act, the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1948, Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) and to reform or amend the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 and Section 504 and 505(b) of the Penal Code.
CIJ also urged the Government to commit to the enactment of a Right to Information law without any further delay, as well as to develop a concrete timeline and plan of action to immediately move towards the ratification of international human rights treaties, in particular the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). – Dec 10, 2021
