Amnesty says Malaysia’s rights record set to worsen

Malaysia's human rights record is expected to continue worsening judging from the trend these past few years with the increased use of repressive laws, said Amnesty International Malaysia.

The group said that Malaysia's human rights record had worsened over the years, marred by Putrajaya's sedition blitz, its treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, as well as increased religious intolerance.

It is also concerned with custodial deaths and Malaysia's death penalty legislation.

"Malaysia's human rights record has worsened throughout the years as seen in the Chinese New Year crackdown under the Sedition Act and the Penal Code," said Amnesty International Malaysia executive director, Shamini Darshni.

"There are almost one or two cases daily. We saw the same trend in August last year and we are seeing it intensify now," she said at the launch of Amnesty International Report 2014/2015: The State of the World's Human Rights.

A sedition dragnet in August last year netted a string of opposition politicians, social activists, academicians, as well as a news portal journalist and a Muslim scholar, all of whom have either been charged with sedition, are facing trial or under investigation.

Last week, activist Lawrence Jayaraj and Parti Socialis Malaysia secretary-general S. Arutchelvan were investigated under the Sedition Act for their comments on the judiciary following the Federal Court's guilty verdict on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on February 10.

PKR leaders Rafizi Ramli, Fariz Musa and Dr Afif Bahardin, as well as DAP's Taiping MP Nga Kor Ming were also investigated by the police for questioning the court decision.

PKR youth chief, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and student activist Adam Adli Abd Halim were investigated under the Penal Code for unlawful assembly to protest the court verdict.

The report which looked into human rights records of 160 countries, found torture and ill-treatment in 131 countries, while 119 countries restricted freedom of expression and 62 locked up prisoners of conscience.

The report said 78 countries have laws that criminalise consensual relationhips between adults of the same sex.

For Malaysia, the report looked into six areas, namely freedom of expression, death penalty, arbitrary arrests and detentions, discrimination, police and security forces and its treatment of refugees and asylum seekers.

It found there were "severe restrictions" on freedom of expression, and as of the end of 2014, 44 individuals were either facing charges or being investigated under a range of repressive laws.

On the death penalty, the report stated that sentences continued to be imposed, citing reports of secret executions without prior or posthumous announcements.

It also expressed concern over the authorities’ continued use of the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA) and Security Offences (Special Measures) Act to arbitrarily arrest and detain suspects.

The report noted that instances of religious intolerance as well as restrictions on the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion increased in 2014, with authorities increasingly using religion to justify discrimination against minority religious groups.

Additionally, there were persistent allegations of human rights violations by police and security forces, including custodial deaths, torture and ill-treatment, and unnecessary and excessive use of force and firearms.

"At least 13 people were known to have died in police custody during 2014," the report stated.

Amnesty said Malaysia violated international laws by deporting refugees and asylum seekers to countries where they faced serious human rights violations.

The report warned that space for civil society and the media in Asia-Pacific would continue to shrink due to repressive legislation, including security laws to silence independent voices.

It noted that authoritarian regimes would continue to try and exert blanket control over public debate.

However, there is a silver lining for Malaysia, with Shamini noting an increased activism among the young through the social media, especially among women.

"The way the Sedition Act is being used, the way we read it, it is used to suppress dissent but critical voices have to be acknowledged as part of democracy and nation-building. Critical voices are part of the country, we don't have to the agree but we can debate on these subjects," she added. – February 26, 2015.