COMMENT The Society for the Promotion of Human Rights or, as it known by its Malay acronym Proham, congratulates the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and the government for the confidence the UN community has shown in electing Malaysia into the UN Security Council for a two-year period, from January 2015 to December 2016.

This is a timely opportunity for Malaysia to enhance the country’s global role through presenting a moderate approach to conflict resolution, especially in the face of rising extremism. Malaysia, through the Global Movement of Moderates, can continue to play a strategic role in this context.

Malaysia is also well suited, as being the Chair of Asean in 2015, and this is a critical period in the building of the Asean community - not just economic but also security, which is most critical...