The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) is disappointed at being kept in the dark on Putrajaya's delay in implementing the National Human Rights Action Plan , which it had agreed to in 2012.

"We have been pushing for it since 2010, now it's 2014 and we are still pushing," Suhakam commissioner Khaw Lake Tee said.

 

"Everytime we meet them (government leaders), we ask, ‘what is the progress?, and they reply, ‘It is there’ (ada).

"We are disappointed, for do not know why they are so slow. You have to ask the government," Khaw ( right ) said.

She was in Penang yesterday to brief NGOs, the media, police and government officers on the recommendations of the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on the status of human rights in Malaysia.

Khaw said it was important to include human rights in the national plan as the country must develop beyond socio-economic aspects.

She cited an example of such rights, the proposed policy to have all children registered at birth so that none would be stateless or categorised as undocumented.

Children without birth certificates

Children without birth certificates cannot enrol in schools or find enployment when they reach adulthood , and healthcare would also be beyond their reach, she noted.

"If Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines can implement their National Human Rights Action Plan, why can't we?" Khaw asked, noting that Singapore and Brunei, like Malaysia, have yet to device their own plans.

"Having such an action plan would be good for our reputation internationally, while locally, it could benefit the people," she added, saying that the government can use recommendations from the UPR to formulate the human rights policies.

In October 2012, the federal government agreed to develop the National Human Rights Action Plan, proposed by Suhakam in  2010.

In December last year, Global Movement of Moderates chief executive Saifuddin Abdullah ( left ) called on Putrajaya to formulate the Suhakam action plan, which is a long-term effort to preserve human rights and to increase knowledge and awareness of protecting these rights.

Saifuddin was a former deputy minister of higher education and Termeloh MP, prior to May last year.

But last week, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri said the government is on an 18-month policy research for the National Human Rights Action Plan, and that she chaired the first meeting on the matter on June 19.

This plan, she added included looking at the Federal Constitution, Malaysian values and culture and keeping in mind the position of Islam as the official religion in the country.

Meanwhile, Suhakam is also disappointed that there was no recommendation for the UPR received from any country on business and human rights.

This is a new area, Khaw said, as not only states but businesses must not infringe or violate human rights of the people or workers, or destroy the environment.

"Companies must ensure their products must not endanger the health of workers, nor must thhey source products from companies that employ child labour," she said.

"We are telling banks and financiers not to finance businesses that have an adverse effect on people's lives, this includes big and small companies," she added.

"It is not sufficient for companies to just practice corporate social responsibility. Doing that does not mean you have complied with human rights," Khaw added.