Monthly Archives: September 2024

KUALA LUMPUR (21 SEPTEMBER 2024) – The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) expresses its profound concern over what appears to be a persistent neglect of critical human rights issues impacting vulnerable communities, despite the call from us (SUHAKAM) and the repeated calls for action from civil societies and the individual affected.

In particular, SUHAKAM alludes to the alleged complaint of assault by Mr. Ong In Keong, the e-hailing cab driver, a person with disability, against a police officer. The alleged incident took place in May 2024, about almost 4 months ago. But, sadly, until today, no prosecutorial action has been taken against the said police officer.

SUHAKAM reiterates what we have stated in our previous media statement of 16 August 2024.

SUHAKAM is deeply dismayed by the deafening silence on the part of the Attorney General cum Public Prosecutor on the issue as to whether prosecutorial proceeding will be taken against the police officer concerned; or otherwise.

If the Attorney General cum Public Prosecutor takes the position that he does not intend to prosecute the said police officer, he must announce it to the public stating his reasons in clear terms for the decision not to prosecute. 

On the other hand, if the Attorney General cum Public Prosecutor has in mind to prosecute the police officer concerned, with respect, why is he taking so long to do so, as the case is a straightforward case of assault under the Penal Code. 

The learned Honourable Attorney General needs no reminder that justice delayed is justice denied to the said Mr. Ong, the alleged victim. Under Article 8 of the Federal Constitution everyone is equal before the law and is entitled to the equal protection of the law – and this includes Mr. Ong. 

We strongly repeat what we had said earlier. No person should be denied of his human rights, let alone a person belonging to a vulnerable community.

As this is a case of public interest involving a person with disability, a member of the vulnerable community, the Attorney General, as the guardian of public conscience, has a constitutional and moral duty to publicly address the issue. Good governance, the principle of transparency and the Rule of Law expects him to do so. 

Silence is not an option on the part of the Attorney General.

There should not be this public perception that the criminal justice system has been compromised or undermined.

SUHAKAM awaits the response of the Attorney General.

-END-

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM)

Date: 21 September 2024

KUALA LUMPUR (13 SEPTEMBER 2024) – Children’s Commissioner, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), Dr Farah Nini Dusuki (CC) expressed her deep sadness on the news pertaining to the special operation carried out in care homes associated to ‘Global Ikhwan Service and Business Holding’ (GISB). The investigation by the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) revealed that the child victims in the homes were not only groomed to sodomise but also were sexually assaulted by the wardens and forced to assault other children. The children recorded by PDRM numbered at 402 from 20 care homes around Selangor and Negeri Sembilan respectively. Therefore, CC is gravely appalled on the underreported cases of children being assaulted in actuality owing to the rampancy of GISB operating nationwide in Malaysia and globally.

CC expressed her gratitude to PDRM and partners namely, the Social Welfare Department (JKM), the Ministry of Health (KKM) and the Malaysian Chemical Department for their swift action to save the child victims in this case. However, based on the Media Conference Notes (OP Global) by PDRM yesterday, it is understood that the total number of police reports against GISB stood at 41 cases, made between 2011 until September 7, 2024. Therefore, CC is heedful of the outcome of the investigation and the subsequent actions that have been taken by PDRM against GISB since 2011.

However, the CC’s immediacy for this case is acting for best interests of all child victims with regard to the insistence of all victim handling processes including investigations into the acquisition of criminal evidence against perpetrators should be child friendly. In addition, counseling and psychological treatment services for child victims must be provided, ensuring a smooth recovery from their trauma and channeling them to a new chapter in life.

CC believes that a family-based care system should be prioritized for the care of all child victims, rather than placing them in overcrowded children’s homes, which could further exacerbate their trauma. Additionally, CC stresses the importance of providing continuous counseling to all child victims to accurately assess the impact of the abuse and offer an appropriate rehabilitation plan tailored to their needs.

The crime and exploitation against children committed behind the facade of religion is grotesquely shocking to say the least. CC is further aggrieved on the fact that the care homes have been running for years undetected. Moreover, CC calls for JKM to ensure that all childcare centers must not only be registered but also diligently and responsibly monitored. Tragedies akin to this, including the recent death of 8-month-old Muhamad Al Fateh Amri in a nursery, could have been avoided if monitoring was conducted closely by the authorities. Taking into account the capacity and resource constraints of JKM, the responsibility to conduct monitoring should also be extended to the local councils, with regard to their municipal role in respective localities.

To that, the CC urges an establishment of special committee by the National Security Council to study and formulate an integrated strategy to deal with the recurrence of such crimes in all institutions involving children, especially in daycare centers. Additionally, CC calls for the formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. The inquiry’s findings would guide meaningful reforms of any failing institutions or systems, ultimately laying the groundwork for a comprehensive child protection framework.

Hereafter, raids should be conducted at all children shelter homes and day care centers to ensure strict compliance of all childcare institutions with the standards prescribed by JKM.

-END-

Dr Farah Nini Dusuki
Children’s Commissioner
The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) 
13 September 2024

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SERBUAN PDRM RUMAH AMAL GISB: CC DUKACITA TERHADAP MANGSA KANAK-KANAK TERLIBAT

KUALA LUMPUR (13 SEPTEMBER 2024) – Pesuruhjaya Kanak-kanak, Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia (SUHAKAM), Dr Farah Nini Dusuki (CC) menzahirkan kekesalan terhadap modus operandi oleh rumah-rumah amal yang dikatakan ada kaitan dengan ‘Global Ikhwan Service and Business Holding’ (GISB) sepertimana yang dilaporkan oleh pihak media tempohari. Siasatan Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) mendedahkan bahawa mangsa kanak-kanak di rumah-rumah amal tersebut bukan sahaja diajar dan dididik cara untuk meliwat, malahan mereka turut  diliwat oleh penjaga dan seterusnya dipaksa untuk meliwat penghuni kanak-kanak yang lain. Seramai 402 kanak-kanak daripada 20 rumah amal di sekitar Selangor dan Negeri Sembilan telah berjaya diselamatkan oleh pihak PDRM. CC berasa sangat hiba membayangkan jumlah sebenar mangsa kanak-kanak yang terlibat dalam jenayah penderaan seksual tersebut kerana GISB diketahui umum bergerak secara aktif di seluruh Malaysia dan di peringkat global.

CC merakamkan ucapan terima kasih kepada pihak PDRM dan rakan strategik yang terdiri daripada Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM), Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM) dan Jabatan Kimia Malaysia atas tindakan pantas mereka menyelamatkan kanak-kanak yang menjadi mangsa dalam kes ini. Berdasarkan Nota Sidang Media (OP Global) oleh pihak PDRM, difahamkan bahawa sebanyak 41 laporan polis telah dibuat terhadap GISB sejak 2011 hingga 7 September 2024, dan CC memohon agar pihak PDRM dapat memaklumkan mengenai hasil siasatan dan tindakan yang telah diambil terhadap laporan-laporan tersebut.

Sebagai entiti yang bertanggungjawab untuk mempromosi dan melindungi hak kanak-kanak di Malaysia, fokus utama CC adalah untuk memastikan kepentingan terbaik kesemua mangsa kanak-kanak ini. Oleh yang demikian, CC ingin menegaskan akan kepentingan untuk semua proses pengendalian mangsa kanak-kanak termasuk siasatan terhadap pemerolehan bukti jenayah terhadap pemangsa dilaksanakan mengikut prosedur yang sewajarnya yang bersifat mesra kanak-kanak (‘child-friendly’). Selain itu, rawatan kaunseling dan psikologi terhadap mangsa kanak-kanak perlu dipastikan dapat membantu memulihkan trauma kanak-kanak dan membolehkan mereka membuka lembaran hidup yang baharu.

CC juga berpandangan bahawa bagi halatuju penjagaan kesemua kanak-kanak selepas ini,  sistem penjagaan berdasarkan keluarga (‘family based-care’) adalah disyorkan kerana petempatan di rumah kanak-kanak yang sesak berisiko menambah trauma kepada kanak-kanak. Selain itu, CC menekankan supaya kaunseling yang berterusan diberikan kepada kanak-kanak bagi mengenalpasti sejauh mana impak penderaan yang berlaku memberi kesan terhadap mereka, dan mekanisme pemulihan sesuai dapat dijalankan ke atas kanak-kanak.

Jenayah dan eksploitasi terhadap kanak-kanak yang berselindung di sebalik nama agama sebegini adalah amat memalukan. CC amat terkilan kerana rumah-rumah amal tersebut berjaya beroperasi bertahun lamanya tanpa dapat dikesan aktiviti tidak bermoral yang dijalankan.  Bagi mengelakkan tragedi seumpama ini berulang, CC menyeru pihak JKM untuk sentiasa memastikan agar semua pusat jagaan kanak-kanak bukan hanya perlu berdaftar, tetapi turut dipantau rapat dengan penuh bertanggungjawab. Tragedi seperti ini termasuk insiden kematian yang berlaku terhadap bayi berumur 8 bulan, Muhamad Al Fateh Amri di taska baru-baru ini dapat dielakkan jika pemantauan rapi dibuat oleh pihak berwajib. CC mengambil maklum mengenai isu kekangan kapasiti oleh pihak JKM dan menyarankan agar tanggungjawab pemantauan ini dapat dijalankan dengan kerjasama majlis-majlis perbandaran setempat secara menyeluruh di lokaliti masing-masing.

CC menggesa agar satu jawatankuasa khas ditubuhkan di peringkat Majlis Keselamatan Negara bagi mengkaji mengenai strategi bersepadu yang boleh dirangka untuk menangani jenayah sebegini dan langkah-langkah yang perlu diambil bagi memastikan ia tidak berulang terutamanya di semua institusi yang melibatkan kanak-kanak, khususnya di pusat jagaan dan asuhan. Selain itu, CC menyeru agar satu Suruhanjaya Inkuiri Diraja ditubuhkan bagi menyiasat insiden ini agar hasil dapatan inkuiri dapat dimanfaatkan sebagai panduan untuk reformasi institusi dan seterusnya membantu mewujudkan suatu sistem perlindungan kanak-kanak yang lebih holistik.

CC juga memohon agar suatu Operasi Khas dibuat untuk menggempur rumah amal kanak-kanak serta pusat asuhan bagi memastikan kesemua institusi ini mematuhi piawaian ditetapkan oleh JKM.

-TAMAT-

Dr Farah Nini Dusuki
Pesuruhjaya Kanak-Kanak
Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia (SUHAKAM)
13 September 2024