PUTRAJAYA – The United Nations has urged Malaysia to review several of its existing laws as they are deemed archaic or discriminatory.
Lauding the repeal of the Internal Security Act 1960, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said the Sedition Act 1948 was from a “colonial era” and the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) was vague.
He also called for a review of laws that had been used against human rights activists, in order to foster a more creative and progressive nation.
“It will also be important to review the colonial-era Sedition Act, as well as other vague and overly broad legislation like the Sosma,” he told a press conference at the UN offices in Menara PjH today.
“Laws such as the Communications and Multimedia Act, the Peaceful Assembly Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act continue to be used against human rights defenders, including environmental human rights defenders.
“For a society to harness creativity, innovation and progress, people must be able to express dissenting views without fear of reprisal.”
Turk, who is on a working visit to Malaysia from June 2 to 4 at the invitation of the Malaysian government, has met various high-ranking officials to discuss human rights issues, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Turk added that he paid a visit to Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri regarding Malaysia’s review under the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (Cedaw).
Following this, he said Malaysia needed to implement immediate measures to increase women’s representation in decision-making positions, which he said was “very low”.
Nonetheless, he welcomed Malaysia’s adoption of several human rights-based acts such as the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022, the Anti-Stalking Act – which is Section 507A of the Penal Code – as well as the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017.
Turk also commended Malaysia’s abolishment of mandatory capital punishment, and the reduction in the number of offences punishable by death.
Malaysia’s initiative to decriminalise illicit drug possession in small amounts was also welcome, he added.
“I hope this will pave the way for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
“It is important that a human rights and health-based approach be taken in managing the drug problem.” – June 4, 2024