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 ©The
Star (Used by permission)
by Florence A. Samy and Nurbaiti Hamdan
• Call on NGOs to meet over human rights issues
• Firms must protect rights, says jurist
KUALA LUMPUR: Freedom of expression does not mean an individual can defame or
criticise religious practices of another person.
Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) commissioner Datuk Muhammad Shafee
Abdullah said many rights of an individual could be limited if Article 29(2) of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was considered.
He said the article set out in general terms the permissible limitations of
individual rights and freedoms.
“Freedom of speech does not include the right to defame others nor does freedom
of religion allow you to criticise the religious practices of others,” he said
on Thursday after the conclusion of the 13th Asia Pacific Forum on National
Human Rights Institutions.
Muhammad Shafee said one must look at UDHR in a “revolutionary manner.”
“Article 29 is a starting point. Many rights can be limited. Freedom of
expression can be limited,” he said.
He said the UDHR – proclaimed in 1948 – had evolved to restrict freedom of
speech by law on grounds of morality, public order and general welfare in a
democratic society.
The forum also concluded that any permissible limitations on fundamental rights
and freedoms should be scrutinised in accordance with the accepted international
norms.
Suhakam chairman Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman said Article 29(2) was drafted for a
purpose.
He said individual rights must be balanced with that of the community because
freedom of speech should go with responsibility.
In its concluding statement, the APF said it had discussed the establishment of
an Asean regional human rights mechanism and welcomed the progress of the
national human rights institutions of Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines and
Thailand.
It called for the setting of a regional standard on human rights of migrants in
irregular situations and migrant domestic workers.
Suhakam was unanimously elected as chairperson of APF to be held next year in
Jordan.
Call on NGOs to meet over human rights issues
KUALA LUMPUR: Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) involved in human rights
should attend the first national consultation by NGOs to discuss issues to be
highlighted in Malaysia's Universal Periodic Review (UPR) by the United Nations
Human Rights Council.
“We would like to assess the state of human rights in Malaysia with the NGOs and
prepare a report,” Dignity International adviser Jerald Joseph told a press
conference here.
He said the meeting on Aug 15 would enable the NGOs to ascertain the extent to
which the people had been affected by: the Government's commitments and pledges
to the Human Rights Council; the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of The Child; the
reports of UN Special Rapporteurs And Representatives on Malaysia; and the
Millennium Development Goals.
Joseph said the consultation in Petaling Jaya would explain to participants
about the UPR process.
For details, call John Liu of Suaram at 03-77843525/03-77835724 or email at
yn_tynn@yahoo.com
Firms must protect rights, says jurist
KUALA LUMPUR: Corporate accountability and social responsibility goes beyond
philanthropy work and must include the protection of human rights.
While recognising the need for charity work, Asia-Pacific Forum's Advisory
Council of Jurists (ACJ) president Datuk Ranita Hussein said corporations, be
they domestic, transnational or international, must be aware that their
corporate social responsibility is to respect human rights.
Presenting ACJ's interim report on corporate social responsibility at the 13th
Asia-Pacific Forum (APF) of National Human Rights Institutions yesterday, Ranita
said it was vital for national human rights institutions (NHRIs) to educate the
government on mechanisms to deal with human rights abuses by corporations.
“Governments have a duty to amend the legal framework to prevent human rights
abuses, especially in vulnerable industries such as forestry, pharmaceutical and
apparels and to protect whistleblowers who come forward,” she said at the
four-day forum hosted by Suhakam.
ACJ member Prof Vitit Muntarbhorn said corporations must look into including
hard human rights principles in their operating procedures.
“NHRIs also need to educate corporations on the United Nations human rights
framework,” he said.
The interim report also included remedies for NHRIs such as advocating the
government to give them power to take legal action and having a mechanism to
enforce sanctions on corporations with human rights violations.
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Circular No 297/2008
First, DEFAMATION is against the law.
So, it should not be allowed.
Next, as for criticism, this is subjective.
We therefore, need to rephrase it, to say: "No negative criticism of any religion is allowed so that NO followers of any religion is hurt".
What then, about "COMMENTS"? If comments are not allowed, then we need not educate ourselves nor our children at all.
In this instance, then we will simply allow themselves to be easily indoctrinated by others, and be captured by them, our so-called LEADERS, and be put by them into our respective COCONUT SHELLS!
Probably, then, it should be : We can comment to COMPARE, but not to CRITICISE!
Let us, then, hold INTER-FAITH forums.
Tan Peek Guat