The government will be issuing a tender soon to hire a consultant to help formulate the National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRAP).

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri said the tender will be issued in one or two weeks.

"We (the government) would just give the scope, but the consultants will come and propose. It is the consultants that would come and assist us.

"It is no more (limited to) government servants. You will see that it will be as fair as possible," Nancy told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today, after officiating a seminar on the NHRAP.

She said the process was previously limited to universities and civil servants, due to limited funding, but it has since been granted over RM5 million from the government.

A baseline study meant to help track the progress of the plan has already started, Nancy added, but the report has yet to be completed.

The Batang Sadong MP said she hopes that five-year plan, which is made in response to recommendations to Malaysia from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Universal Periodic Review, can begin implementation by the end of the year.

In her speech earlier to officiate the two-day seminar, Nancy said the NHRAP would have five core areas, namely

  • Civil and political rights;
  • Economic, social and cultural rights;
  • Rights of vulnerable persons;
  • Rights of the indigenous people; and
  • International obligations.

"I would like to stress that cooperation among the government, NGOs, civil society and members of the public is also very important in developing the NHRAP.

"Therefore, apart from involvement and contributions from the government, the process of engagement and public consultation will also be held to ensure the voices and views of all parties are taken into account in developing the NHRAP," she told more than 200 persons present in the hall.

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