HUMAN Rights Day is observed every year on December 10 — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) in 1948.
The UDHR is a milestone document that proclaims the inalienable rights everyone is entitled to as a human being – regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status.
This year’s 2022 slogan and theme for Human Rights Day is “Dignity, Freedom and Justice for All”.
The Global Human Rights Federation hopes the unity government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his administration will combat issues pertaining to racism, fanaticism, extremism, discrimination, double-standard law enforcement, supremacist policies, and religious persecution.
As Malaysia is part of the United Nations Human Rights Council for 2022-2024, being elected on October 15, 2021, I would like to remind that Malaysia is obliged to uphold the 30 articles as enshrined in the UDHR, mainly as mentioned in:
Article 1 – “All humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”
Article 2 – “Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this declaration without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.”
Article 7 – “All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.”
GHRF currently has three active cases pending in the court regarding inflammatory speeches and posts insulting non-Islamic religions in this country.
It has always been either non-governmental organisations or the public who have to individually or privately seek justice when we have law enforcement agencies and authorities who are supposed to act on the matter without prejudice or bias.
I would like to point out that Article 8 of the federal constitution spells equal rights for its citizens, a right that is very important to prevent discrimination and injustice to Malaysians.
Article 8(1) says that “all persons are equal before the law and are entitled to equal protection of the law” and 8(2) “that there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion, race, descent, place of birth or gender in any law”.
Hence, GHRF seeks for the government to table a Racial and Religious Hatred Bill in Parliament, which would allow those making any statement deemed as hate speech directed at a particular race or religion to be prosecuted, if indeed the formation of unity government is serious in preserving the unity, harmony, and peace of all fellow Malaysians.
GHRF is also requesting for the government to set in place an independent body to oversee conversions into Islam, and for strict laws and guidelines to be drafted and enforced to avoid such conversions being done covertly.
The prime minister must also look into taking stern action against those performing unilateral conversions on underage children, which is morally and religiously incorrect.
GHRF’s objectives are to uphold the Malaysian constitution, principles of Rukun Negara, parliamentary democracy, rule of law, and equality, exercising the 30 articles as enshrined by UDHR 1948.
This is to maintain racial unity and create a united, peaceful, harmonious and prosperous society. – The Vibes, December 10, 2022
S. Shashi Kumar is the president of Global Human Rights Federation
