Advocates & Solicitors
Tuesday, 10 December 2024
We were invited to attend the Human Rights Day Forum, which featured discussions between government and businesses on plans to empower human rights.
Co-organised by the Malaysian government, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), and the United Nations in Malaysia, the Forum took place on 10 December 2024 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Actors involved in the Forum included government ministries and bodies, business enterprises and third-sector organisations.
The Forum began with the welcoming remarks made by YBhg. Dato’ Seri Mohd Hishamudin Md. Yunus, the chairman of SUHAKAM. He underlined the importance of business growth not coming at the cost of violation of human dignity and reinforced the need for business cooperation towards the government’s efforts to tackle forced labour, exploitation, and human trafficking.
Karima El Korri, the UN Resident Coordinator for Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, then addressed the audience. Karima outlined in her speech the necessity for Malaysia to take the next steps in rights protection as it aims to be a high-income country. These included establishing basic workers’ rights by protecting informal workers, treating migrants fairly and working towards a clean sustainable environment, with consumers holding business responsible for their impact and creating channels for claims and redress. Following that, YB Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said, the minister for Law and Institutional Reform in the Prime Minister’s Department, spoke on the steps Malaysia has already taken, including the National Baseline Assessment on Business and Human Rights in Malaysia published earlier this year.
Subsequently, Dr. Punitha Silivarajoo moderated the panel discussion which included YM Tengku Fauzi Tengku Abdul Hamid, Shireen Aida Shamsul Khalil, Luanne Sieh, and Siti Nur Alina.
Before the panel, a virtual address was given by Edmund Bon. He highlighted the current violations of human rights, noting that in the absence of adequate human rights protection, practices such as Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation threaten to further deprive victims of justice and redress. This reinforces the necessity of not just acknowledging the existence of business and human rights, but actively implementing them, and their values into business practices.
YM Tengku Fauzi, SUHAKAM Commissioner, spoke on the need to shift legislation away from condoning the exploitation of the environment towards sustaining and protecting it, referring to Article 92 (3) of the Federal Constitution, which still allows the “exploitation of such [natural] resources” to be part of a Government’s development plan. Updating our legislation to promote healthy and sustainable practices is a key and necessary part of ensuring rights protection.
Luanne Sieh spoke on CIMB's commitment to sustainability and human rights, which has resulted in the adoption of a Human Rights Policy in line with the International Bill of Human Rights. This policy has two separate processes, due diligence for clients and grievance mechanisms for employees, which encourage transparency and a safe and healthy work environment. This approach is commendable as it shows how businesses should shift practices, such as safeguarding human rights, to align with international obligations and developments.
Finally, YB Datuk Mohamad bin Alamin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, addressed the audience in closing, following the launch ceremony of translated human rights treaties and the Geneva Convention in Bahasa Melayu. The event then ended with a networking lunch.
