The latest case concerns the production team of the film “Metaga Terbang”, subjected to vandalism, intimidation and death threats. Even with the new Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim the situation does not seem to have improved. The work of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission to protect freedoms. From human trafficking to child labor to gender inequality, there are many unresolved issues.
Kuala Lumpur () – NGOs and activist groups attack the Kuala Lumpur government for the progressive deterioration of human rights in Malaysia, with testimonies and complaints of widespread abuses, despite the fact that the country is a signatory to international agreements on human rights. One of the latest complaints is from last month, signed by Amnesty Malaysia along with 74 other associations, to ask for an end to the harassment against the authors of the film Metaga Terbang. The film tells the story of a young woman who explores the concepts and narratives of the afterlife in different religions, in search of an answer to her mother’s terminal illness.
The team that made the film was subjected to vandalism with damaged cars, death threats and hostile interrogations by the police, as well as intimidation of various kinds. The declaration of the activist movements recalls other restrictions imposed by the executive on freedom of expression, including attacks and restrictions on freedom of assembly. An in-depth investigation into cases of discrimination against women was also presented to the UN last month.
These are just some of the repeated violations committed this year against rights that are supposed to be natural and enshrined in a democracy. It is an alarming situation that confirms the panorama that Human Rights Watch (HRW) draws in the 2022 report on Malaysia, which lists the abuses that occurred during the tenure of the previous prime minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob. However, the violations do not appear to have diminished under the current government headed by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
On the other hand, the US State Department’s 2022 report on Malaysia refers to widespread human rights violations, ranging from murder to torture, inhumane treatment, harsh prison terms, arbitrary arrests and lack of independence from the Power of attorney. Also restrictions on freedom of expression with harassment of journalists and national human rights groups, interference with freedom of assembly and religious freedom, corruption, gender violence and widespread exploitation of child labor.
The most active of the internal rights defense movements is the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), which has carried out detailed and detailed studies on the situation. As an official body created by Parliament in the 1990s, it has long advocated for the abolition of the 1948 Sedition Act to protect freedom of expression and strongly opposed pretrial detention laws calling for due process guarantees. . In response to the many complaints he receives about human trafficking, Suhakam acts as an intermediary between the complainants and the relevant government agencies. It also registers with alarm the degradation of the country to level 2 by the Department of State (2019) for non-compliance with minimum standards in the fight against trafficking in human beings.
The commission organizes training courses for the police and the immigration and drug control departments, in addition to making regular visits to prisons, demanding investigations into suspicious deaths in prison and promoting the ratification of the treaty against torture (UNCAT). However, despite repeated human rights violations, it remains one of the most sought after cities by expatriates and migrant workers. It remains to be seen whether the principles of Prime Minister Anwar’s Madani Way will bring about a real change in the issue of human rights in the country.
