PETALING JAYA: Human rights activists have mocked Putrajaya’s announcement that it is bidding for a spot on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2022-2024 term, telling the government to first look at its own “backyard”.
North-South Initiative director Adrian Pereira and Tenaganita director Glorene Das said there were far more pressing human rights issues in the country that have gone unaddressed, pointing out the irony of the matter.
They told Putrajaya to “get their house in order” before trying to make such bids on an international stage.
“Malaysia is making a mockery of itself. We have forced labour allegations in almost every sector, and we are almost dropping to tier 3 in the trafficking in persons (TIP) report.
“We refused to sign many of the UN’s conventions and failed to implement the ones we have ratified, including International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions. So, it is best we get our house in order or we will be labelled as hypocrites,” Pereira told FMT.
Das said Putrajaya should be shifting its focus towards addressing existing human rights issues, instead of conducting a “public relations exercise”.
She said bidding for a seat on the council does not resolve the human rights issues in the country, adding that Malaysia had already been a part of the council before this.
“But where did that take us on the issues of human rights? There is enough evidence in the country that human rights is not of great importance, so what are we showcasing here?
“We discriminate against refugees and migrants, we have records and reports of forced labour and human trafficking. Politicians and officials are involved in corruption cases yet they get away with impunity. Children in detention camps, workers rights disrespected… the list goes on.
“While we have the intention to look great on an international platform, we have so much work to be done in our own backyard. Let’s clean up our backyard before getting a seat there. Enough of drama at the international level,” she told FMT.
Foreign Affairs Minister Hishammuddin Hussein yesterday said Malaysia was bidding for a spot on the UNHRC for the 2022-2024 term.
“The HRC embodies the spirit of multilateralism, which Malaysia continues to advocate for, and as a member of the HRC, Malaysia will work closely with all actors to drive progress on human rights at home and also globally,” he said.