©The Star (Used by permission)
by VICTORIA BROWN
KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has plans to venture into a new area that has previously not been explored – the convergence of business and human rights.
Suhakam chairman Tan Sri Hasmy Agam said that the Commission will be focus on how human rights principles can be implemented in the corporate sector.
He stresses the importance of human rights in businesses since Malaysia is expanding and becoming an industrialized country.
“Business activities are critically impacting on the human rights of individuals and communities around the world, positively and negatively, every day,” said Hasmy.
Some positive impacts of business on human rights can include employment, skills development, and contributions to economic development at local and national levels.
Conversely negative business practices can also have adverse impacts on human rights.
“Human rights violations can take place in the workplace, where labour rights and civil rights might be infringed,” said Hasmy.
“And during employment, employees should not be ill–treated or discriminated against and there should also be fair promotions,” he said.
“The impact of abuses of human rights by business can be widespread in terms of its nature and the number of people affected.”
Hasmy gave an example of a company building a factory or plantation: “They should undertake an environmental impact assessment to study how the development would change the environment and affect the livelihood of the people in the area.”
“The environment and social impact assessment is to take people’s interests onboard and there must be compensated when needed,” he said.
Hasmy said that businesses that fail to respect human rights may expose themselves to a wide range of risks, including legal action, negative media coverage, protests, shareholder action and boycotts – and all the reputational and financial costs that these can bring.
“Consumers, investors, local communities and other stakeholders are on the lookout for breaches of those international standards and are quick to bring them to global attention,” he said.
Hasmy said that businesses should not confuse human rights with corporate social responsibility (CSR).
“CSR is not an indication of a corporation’s compliance to human rights values. They are largely charity–based, not human rights based,” he added.
In line with Suhakam’s journey towards business and human rights, the Commission has made a bid and won a seat on the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI) Working Group on Business and Human Rights at the recent Asia Pacific Forum for NHRI in New Delhi.
“The Working Group is an important international body that seeks to provide support to NHRIs via capacity building, advocacy and collective actions at international fora, in fulfilling their role and mandate in the field of business and human rights,” said Hasmy.
Suhakam’s position in the Working Group is represented by Commissioner Prof Datuk Dr Aishah Bidin.
“I hope that our participation in the Working Group will enable us to further improve our capacity in order to advance principles of business and human rights at the domestic and international levels,” said Hasmy.