MALAYSIA was recently inducted into the United Nations Human Rights Council for the 2022-2024 term. It is a proud moment for us Malaysians but whether we deserve it remains debatable. The refusal of the Malaysian government to ratify the International Conventional on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd) as well as the last-minute pullout from Rome Statute ratification due to protests from Muslim extremist pressure groups, such as Ummah, in the heart of the capital city, Kuala Lumpur, are signs of creeping Wahhabism

Icerd is among the most sacrosanct of the United Nation charters, one based on the principles of dignity and equality inherent in all human beings. The Icerd charter holds that “the existence of racial barrier is repugnant to the ideals of any human society” and that it is “alarmed by manifestation of racial discrimination still in evidence in some areas of the world and by governmental policies based on racial superiority or hatred, such as policies of apartheid, segregation and separation”.

Our nation stood tall even though elsewhere others are engaged in religious strife, civil war, genocide and amid all this chaos, once upon a time we were a young nation supported by our founding fathers who drafted the constitution of Malaya to suit the multi cultural and religious (read secular) landscape. But now, Saudi Wahhabism is glorified even though it is, in my humble opinion, the root of all evil in this country. One might ponder, can Islam and democracy exist together or can they co-exist only in a parallel universe?

Needless to say, the law is inadequate to fight extremism in Malaysia, which uses crude methods to silence government critics, people of different ideologies and faiths, and social activists.

Here is a list of the denials of human rights, as enshrined in the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, that have occured in our country:

Article 5: Rights to Liberty and Security

Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. The brazen abductions in broad daylight of Pastor Raymond Koh, Pastor Joshua Helmi and wife Ruth Sitepu, and Amri Che Mat are worrisome. The brushing aside of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia’s (Suhakam) exposé shocked civil society, leading to the conclusion of deep state involvement in their disappearances.
 
The acts of kidnappings by state agencies are violations of fundamental freedoms listed under the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearances adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in its resolution on December 18, 1992.

The recent case of a female Malaysian and British permanent resident who went missing after her Sri Lankan husband was killed by police in an alleged shootout in Rawang is testament to the brazen violation of this right. Was she abducted by the so-called deep state operatives in broad daylight, as allegedly occured in the abduction of Pastor Koh? Malaysians are troubled by these unanswered questions over extrajudicial killings. We seek transparency and accountability.

Article 2 talks about the right to life; in my case, that right was violated during the previous Barisan Nasional government when I was prohibited from travelling overseas after which I was invited to work as an engineer at a Kuwaiti oil and gas company. Maybe it was a blessing in disguise as I have ended up a social activist fighting for the betterment of the Malaysian people, especially the minority groups.

Sadly, these violations do not augur well for the country. The authorities are akin to the Communist regime in China during the Cold War era, when arrests, detentions and killings were the order of the day. Learned luminaries and critics were consigned to bewilderment rather than enlightenment by our nation’s economic alignment with China. This is perhaps due to the battered economy with foreign direct investment going south and the failure of palm oil to find acceptance in the global arena, especially Europe. This has led to a lower GDP and unemployment with the prices of other commodities taking a direct hit.

Instead of becoming a first world country in 2020, we are now en route to becoming another Sri Lanka or an African nation run by warlords. Political instability could trigger another May 13 racial riot i.e. politically motivated pogrom between the Malays and non-Malays and a dark period of our history that has changed the course of our nation’s progress into the uncharted waters of the dreaded 2Rs: race and religion. – February 19, 2022.

* Vijay Shanmugam reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.