THOUGH policymakers at the highest level are aware of the issues and problems around, the administrators below them do not have the expertise or the will to solve them. Along with problems pertaining to law reforms, this is among the main reasons for the lack of response to the topics highlighted by non-governmental organisations, said Bar Council Human Rights chairman Edmund Bon.
"They still haven't amended the Child Act to get it in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and haven't come up with a Gender Equality Act to implement the international treaties. So, we have problems on those levels. There's not enough of a legal framework. You sign a treaty, you're supposed to implement it here."
If it's as simple as merely enacting laws, why is there a hold-up then?
Different issues, Bon said, have different reasons. In terms of freedom of religion, for example, the thorny subject is apostasy. On the other hand, he said civil and political rights, including freedom of assembly, association, speech and press, are tied to politics.
At the end of the day, the Universal Periodic Review will basically add another voice to the growing chorus demanding greater civil liberties in the country.
But, which among the myriad issues brought up by the NGOs in their submissions, are the most pressing?
Bon opines that though the celebrity cause is repealing the ISA, the easiest to solve would be the prickly problem of the rights of the indigenous people.
"In human rights, everything is equally important. We cannot say one thing is more crucial than another, but I would really like to see real protection for indigenous people."
This comes down to gazetting their ancestral land as Orang Asli reserve land. "It is not tough. We can sit down and agree what is their land. Then we can make sure nobody comes in."
Other issues like the freedom of media, assembly and speech, Bon conceded, will be a long battle mainly because it is about changing mindsets.
The main thing civil society wants, he argued, is room for discourse. This includes talking about "sensitive" and "taboo" subjects like religion and affirmative action policies.
"I think it is something that can be done immediately, without fear of another May 13."
2012 Hotel Corporate Rates Attending seminars? Going for a holiday? Click on the link above to check out the list of hotel corporate rates for Members of the Bar, which is updated regularly.
Talk on Intellectual Property Law (10 Feb 2012) Organised by the Selangor Bar Committee, the talk on “Intellectual Property Law” will take place at 5:00 pm, at the Selangor Bar Committee Auditorium, on 10 Feb 2012 (Friday). The talk will feature Bahari Yeow Tien Hong. Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on the Fundamentals of Bankruptcy Proceedings (21 Feb 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, the seminar on “The Fundamentals of Bankruptcy Proceedings”, featuring Sanjeev Kumar Rasiah, will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 21 Feb 2012 (Tuesday). Click on the link above for more details.
Seminar on the Fundamentals of Conveyancing (24 Feb 2012) Organised by the Kuala Lumpur Bar Professional Development Committee, this seminar featuring Jeremiah R Gurusamy will take place at 3:00 pm, at the Kuala Lumpur Bar Auditorium, on 24 Feb 2012 (Friday). Click on the link above for more details.
Mediation Skills Training Course (29 Feb to 4 Mar 2012) Organised by Bar Council, the Mediation Skills Training Course will take place at 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, at Raja Aziz Addruse Auditorium, Bar Council, on 29 Feb to 4 Mar 2012 (Wednesday to Sunday). Deadline for registration and payment is 17 Feb 2012 (Friday). Click on the link above for more details.
Talk on “Land Fraud: An Australian Perspective” (13 Mar 2012) Organised by IGIL, GSGSG and UUM COLGIS, this free talk featuring Quintin George Rozario of Delta Law, Brisbane, Australia, will take place at 9:00 am, at Dewan Seminar A, Pusat Konvensyen, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kedah, on 13 Mar 2012 (Tuesday). To RSVP, contact Mr Abutt (04-928 4397; abutt@uum.edu.my).
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Circular No 023/2012: Talk on ISO 9001 | 2008 Quality Management System Certification
