All posts by : Media

KUALA LUMPUR (20 NOVEMBER 2025) – The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) and the Malaysian Representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and current AICHR Chair, H. E. Edmund Bon Tai Soon, jointly welcome the adoption of two historic instruments at the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, namely the ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment and ASEAN Declaration on Promoting the Right to Development and the Right to Peace Towards Realising Inclusive and Sustainable Development.

These declarations reflect milestone commitments by ASEAN Member States to address pressing regional challenges, from environmental degradation and climate change to inequality and unsustainable development through a human rights-based lens and approach.

We emphasise the critical importance of both substantive and procedural elements of the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment: safe climate, clean air, healthy ecosystems and biodiversity, safe and sufficient water, healthy and sustainable food, non-toxic environment, meaningful access to information, effective public participation, and access to remedies and justice. They are essential pillars towards realising the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Further, the human right to development demands that all facets of the right – economic, social, cultural and political – are protected and enhanced together in an integrated fashion. We further underscore the uniqueness of the Declarations which call for greater corporate responsibility and accountability, ensuring that non-State actors and businesses prevent, cease, reduce, mitigate, and address negative impacts and harm to the environment.

We stress that environmental degradation threatens not only ecosystems but also human health, peoples’ welfare and security, and social stability. For this reason, States must strengthen their legal and institutional frameworks to fully operationalise the rights in the Declarations while aligning domestic policies with the regional commitments enshrined in the Declarations.

SUHAKAM has consistently advocated for including the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment under Article 5(1) of the Federal Constitution. SUHAKAM further recommends that the upcoming National Climate Change Bill (RUUPIN) fully incorporates the key elements and principles of the Declarations.

To move these commitments forward, SUHAKAM and AICHR Malaysia strongly encourage all ASEAN Member States to:

1. Institutionalise the key elements and principles of the Declarations into national legal frameworks, including through constitutional recognition and law reform.
2. Ensure that future climate and environmental legislation, such as the RUUPIN, adopt a rights-based approach grounded in access to remedies and justice, transparency, participation, and accountability.
3. Strengthen institutional capacity and mechanisms to guarantee meaningful access to information, effective public participation, and access to remedies and justice particularly in environmental and development matters emphasising greater protection for groups in vulnerable and marginalised situations such as Indigenous Peoples and environmental human rights defenders.
4. Establish clear obligations for State and non-State actors, including businesses, to prevent, cease, reduce, mitigate, and address negative impacts and harm to the environment.
5. Develop regional cross-sectoral and cross pillar cooperation to operationalise the Declarations in a participatory and inclusive manner, involving government agencies in charge of the environment, climate change and development matters, civil society, environmental human rights defenders, and affected local communities.
6. Monitor and report progress on the realisation of the Declarations transparently and regularly, using publicly accessible mechanisms.
7. Demonstrate strong political commitment at the highest levels to uphold the Declarations as instruments that shape policy, planning, and governance across ASEAN.

The adoption of these two ASEAN Declarations is a momentous achievement that offers genuine hope for a future in which human rights, environmental sustainability, development, and peace are mutually reinforcing.

As the incoming Chair of the South East Asia National Human Rights Institutions Forum (SEANF), SUHAKAM reaffirms its strong commitment to supporting regional human rights cooperation. In this capacity, both SUHAKAM and SEANF will work closely in support of AICHR’s work, promoting coordinated advocacy, capacity-building, and implementation efforts among SEANF member institutions to advance the principles of the two Declarations across Southeast Asia.

SUHAKAM and AICHR Malaysia stand ready to work in close partnership with governments, civil society, regional bodies, and communities to ensure that these Declarations are not merely symbolic, but are translated into meaningful, binding, bold and enforceable action. We urge all ASEAN Member States to honour their commitments and turn them into lived realities for the ASEAN peoples.

-END-

Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM)
ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR Malaysia)
Date: 20 November 2025

KUALA LUMPUR (8 NOVEMBER 2025) – The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) welcomes the recent decisions of the High Court of Kuala Lumpur, delivered by Judge of the High Court Kuala Lumpur, YA Dato’ Su Tiang Joo, holding the Government and police accountable in the enforced disappearance cases of Pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat. The rulings mark a significant milestone in recognising state responsibility for such serious human rights violations, thereby affirming key principles of justice, accountability and the rule of law.

SUHAKAM notes with appreciation that in Pastor Koh’s case, the Court ordered the government to pay RM10,000 per day from 13 February 2017 until he is found, in addition to general and aggravated damages. In the case of Amri Che Mat, the Court similarly found state liability, ordered compensation, and directed the reopening of investigations. These decisions are consistent with SUHAKAM’s 2019 Public Inquiry findings, which concluded that both men were victims of enforced disappearances.

SUHAKAM is of the view that the Court’s directive to reopen investigations, reassign implicated officers from their investigative duties, and provide regular updates to the Attorney-General’s Chambers is a positive and essential move. We reiterate that effective remedial action requires thorough, independent, transparent and timely investigations. These must lead not only to accountability but also to the prevention of recurrence.

While we recognise that no financial award can restore the loss suffered by the families of Pastor Koh and Amri Che Mat, these rulings provide important acknowledgment of the harm endured and send a strong signal that enforced disappearance will not go unchallenged. SUHAKAM wishes to emphasise the urgent need for structural reform, including the establishment of a national preventive mechanism dedicated to addressing enforced disappearances, as previously recommended.

Whilst we welcome the High Court judgment, SUHAKAM urges that the disappearances of Joshua Hilmy and Ruth Sitepu that took place since they were last seen on 30 November 2016 must not be forgotten. Occurring around the same period as the enforced disappearances of Pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat, their cases were also the subject of a Public Inquiry conducted by SUHAKAM which revealed serious failures by the authorities to act with the urgency, diligence, and professionalism. SUHAKAM further recalls the findings of this 2022 Public Inquiry chaired by Dato’ Seri Hishamudin Yunus, which concluded that the couple were abducted by persons unknown and that the police’s serious investigative failures amounted to passive state acquiescence. Despite SUHAKAM’s recommendations urging the police to intensify their investigative efforts, the Commission has yet to be informed of any substantive progress.

The tragic cases of Joshua Hilmy and Ruth Sitepu stand as a painful reminder of the ongoing need for accountability and institutional reform. Although their families did not bring their cases to court, justice and truth for them remain no less important. SUHAKAM calls upon the authorities to take immediate and concrete steps to reinvigorate investigations into their disappearances and to provide updates to the Commission and the families concerned.

SUHAKAM remains committed to monitoring the implementation of the High Court’s judgments, engaging with relevant authorities, supporting the affected families, and advocating for systemic reforms to safeguard against future violations. We trust that the Government will seize this opportunity to reinforce Malaysia’s commitment to human rights by implementing the Court’s directives effectively, ensuring full accountability, and strengthening safeguards against future abuses. SUHAKAM also calls on all stakeholders to act swiftly and decisively in advancing truth, justice and institutional reform.

-END–

Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM)
Date: 8 November 2025

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA (17 OCTOBER 2025) – The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) on 16 October 2025 co-hosted a crucial forum titled “Strengthening Regional Accountability: ASEAN’s Failure on Women, Youth, Peace and Security in Myanmar” at the IDEAS Kuala Lumpur Hotel. Jointly organised with Progressive Voice and the Alternative ASEAN Network on Burma (ALTSEAN-Burma), the forum served as an important platform to address the escalating human rights and humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, and to underscore the urgent need for stronger regional accountability mechanisms.

SUHAKAM stands in firm solidarity with the people of Myanmar, particularly women and youth who continue to face compounded risks and systematic violence since the illegal attempted coup in 2021. The forum amplified the voices of human rights defenders who shared first-hand testimonies of the dire situation on the ground, including the widespread use of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) and other grave human rights violations.

SUHAKAM Chairman, YBhg. Dato’ Seri Mohd Hishamudin Yunus, officiated the forum and drew attention to the severe scale of the humanitarian and human rights catastrophe in Myanmar. Current data indicates that the crisis has displaced more than 3.5 million people internally and resulted in over 6,000 civilian deaths since 2021. The discussions underscored the urgent need to end decades-long impunity for atrocities committed by the military, which disproportionately target women, girls, and youth from ethnic and religious minorities through systematic violence, including CRSV.

The forum also featured a panel on Women and Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) and youth representatives who shared their lived experiences of the ongoing crisis and critically assessed the implementation of the ASEAN Regional Plan of Action on Women, Peace and Security (RPA WPS). The discussions further drew attention to CEDAW and Beijing+30 obligations on gender-based violence, which all neighbouring countries in ASEAN are a party to. Despite the framework’s pledge to uphold the core pillars of protection, participation, prevention, and relief and recovery, the situation in Myanmar starkly reveals ASEAN’s failure to deliver on these commitments.

SUHAKAM expressed deep concern over ASEAN’s continued inaction and silence regarding the specific needs and voices of Myanmar’s women, girls, and youth. Their exclusion from consultations and decision-making processes further entrenches marginalisation and undermines the practical relevance of the RPA WPS in addressing one of the region’s most urgent gender and human rights crises. The women of Myanmar — who have been at the forefront of the people’s revolution and resistance — must have their leadership and experiences recognised and centred in all peace and security efforts, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (UNSCR 1325).

Following the testimonies and panel discussions, SUHAKAM expressed its support for the delegation’s call for stronger Malaysian support to Myanmar’s women and youth, particularly in their humanitarian missions and steadfast efforts to end military tyranny, impunity, and gender-based violence.

SUHAKAM urges the Malaysian Government, Parliamentarians, diplomatic missions, media, and all stakeholders to take concrete action, including:

1. Utilising all diplomatic channels to press ASEAN and Malaysia, as the Chair of ASEAN for 2025, to immediately prioritise the restoration of peace and stability in Myanmar and to ensure unhindered humanitarian access to affected communities before any election takes place;
2. Advocating for the inclusion of Myanmar women and youth voices in all regional and international mechanisms addressing the Myanmar crisis; and
3. Strengthening efforts to advance justice and accountability for atrocity crimes committed by the Myanmar military, including CRSV.

SUHAKAM reaffirms its commitment to leveraging its platform as a National Human Rights Institution (NHRI) to advocate for human rights, justice, and accountability for the people of Myanmar at both regional and international levels.

SUHAKAM also calls for stronger regional accountability and courageous leadership within ASEAN to act now. ASEAN must not fail the ASEAN community, especially the women and youth of Myanmar.

-END–

Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM)
Date: 17 October 2025

KUALA LUMPUR (7 OCTOBER 2025) – The Office of Children’s Commissioner (OCC) of SUHAKAM reminds all parties to uphold the principles of fairness, dignity, and compassion in ensuring a child-sensitive justice system. The best interests of the child must be the primary consideration in the treatment of child witnesses, ensuring access to justice while protecting them from hardship during the judicial processes.

The Child Act 2001 [Act 611] clearly affirms in its Preamble that “Every child is entitled to protection and assistance in all circumstances”, a protection that extends equally to child witnesses. Complementing this, the Evidence of Child Witness Act 2007 [Act 676] and Evidence of Child Witness (Amendment) Act 2023 [Act A1688] were specifically enacted to safeguard child witnesses by introducing child-friendly procedures during court processes.

Importantly, Section 6B of the Evidence of Child Witness Act further requires courts to prohibit improper questions, including those that are misleading, intimidating, humiliating, or based on stereotypes. This provision is designed to shield children from psychological, emotional, and physical harm while giving evidence.

Malaysia ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1995, affirming its commitment to uphold the full spectrum of children’s rights. This includes the obligation to ensure that child witnesses and all children in contact with the justice system are treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.

In this regard, OCC calls upon all legal practitioners, court officers, and stakeholders to ensure that these safeguards are consistently implemented in practice, so that children are not re-traumatised by their participation in judicial proceedings.

Office for Children’s Commissioner (OCC)

Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM)

7 October 2025