Annual Report Human Rights Commission of Malaysia
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ANNUAL REPORT 2010 HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF MALAYSIA First Printing, 2011 © Copyright Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) The copyright of this report belongs to the Commission. All or any part of this report may be reproduced provided acknowledgement of source is made or with the Commission’s permission. The Commission assumes no responsibility, warranty and liability, expressed or implied by the reproduction of this publication done without the Commission’s permission. Notification of such use is required. All rights reserved. Published in Malaysia by HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF MALAYSIA 11th Floor, Menara TH Perdana 1001 Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur Email: [email protected] URL: http://www.suhakam.org.my Designed & Printed in Malaysia by Reka Cetak Sdn Bhd No 4 & 6, Jalan Sri Sarawak 20B, Taman Sri Andalas, 41200 Klang, Selangor Darul Ehsan National Library of Malaysia Cataloguing-in-Publication Data ISBN: 1675-1159 MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION APRIL 2008 – APRIL 2010 1. TAN SRI ABU TALIB OTHMAN 2. TAN SRI DATUK SERI PANGLIMA SIMON SIPAUN 3. DATUK DR CHIAM HENG KENG 4. DR MOHAMMAD HIRMAN RITOM ABDULLAH 5. TAN SRI DATO’ DR ASIAH ABU SAMAH 6. PROF DATO’ DR ABDUL MONIR YAACOB 7. DATUK DR RAJ ABDUL KARIM 8. DATO’ CHOO SIEW KIOH 9. DATO’ SRI MUHAMMAD SHAFEE ABDULLAH 10. TUNKU DATUK NAZIHAH TUNKU MOHAMED RUS 11. DATO’ SIVA SUBRAMANIAM A/L NAGARATNAM 12. PROF TAN SRI DR KHOO KAY KIM 13. DATIN PADUKA ZAITOON DATO’ OTHMAN 14. DATO’ DR MICHAEL YEOH OON KHENG 15. DATUK DR DENISON JAYASOORIA 16. DATO’ HAJI KHALID HAJI IBRAHIM MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION 2010 SEATED FROM LEFT MR MUHAMMAD SHA’ANI ABDULLAH, MR JAMES NAYAGAM, MRS JANNIE LASIMBANG, TAN SRI HASMY AGAM (Chairman), PROF DATUK DR KHAW LAKE TEE (Vice Chairman), PROF DATUK DR MAHMOOD ZUHDI HJ A MAJID, MR DETTA SAMEN, MRS HASHIMAH NIK JAAFAR (Secretary) HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF MALAYSIA ANNUAL REPORT 2010 CONTENTS CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 KEY ISSUES 13 CHAPTER 1 REPORT OF THE EDUCATION AND PROMOTION WORKING GROUP 21 CHAPTER 2 REPORT OF THE COMPLAINTS AND INQUIRIES WORKING GROUP 35 CHAPTER 3 REPORT OF THE LAW REFORM AND INTERNATIONAL TREATIES WORKING GROUP 49 CHAPTER 4 REPORT OF THE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS WORKING GROUP 61 CHAPTER 5 REPORT OF THE INTERNATIONAL ISSUES AND COOPERATION COMMITTEE 81 CHAPTER 6 REPORT OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ RIGHTS COMMITTEE 95 CHAPTER 7 REPORT OF THE NATIONAL INQUIRY COMMITTEE 99 CHAPTER 8 REPORT OF THE SABAH OFFICE 103 CHAPTER 9 REPORT OF THE SARAWAK OFFICE 113 APPENDICES APPENDIX I Charter of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) 125 APPENDIX II The Commission’s Press Statements 2010 126 APPENDIX III Activities of the Commission in 2010 150 APPENDIX IV Talks, Meetings, Workshops and Conferences – National 2010 167 APPENDIX V Visits, Meetings and Conferences – International 2010 173 APPENDIX VI The Commission’s Publications 2010 178 APPENDIX VII Monthly Meetings 2010 – Attendance of Members of the Commission 179 APPENDIX VIII Photography Competition 2010 Winners 185 APPENDIX IX SUHAKAM Audited Accounts 191 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AHRC Australian Human Rights Commission AICHR Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights AIWN Asian Indigenous Women’s Network APF Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions ATIP Anti-Trafficking in Persons AWAM All Women’s Action Society, Malaysia CAT Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment CBO Community-based Organisations CED International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance CEDAW Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women CERD International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination CIWG Complaints and Inquiries Working Group CHRP Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines COAC Centre for Orang Asli Concerns CPC Criminal Procedure Code CRPD Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities CRC Convention on the Rights of the Child CUEPACS Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services DDSPMA Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985 DoOAA Department of Orang Asli Affairs EC Election Commission ECOSOCWG Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Working Group EO Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 ESCR Economic, Social and Cultural Rights EWG Education and Promotion Working Group FORUM-ASIA Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development GLC Government-linked Company GMI Gerakan Mansuhkan ISA HRA 1999 Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999 HRC United Nations Human Rights Council ICC International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for Promotion and Protection of Human Rights ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ICERD International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination ICESCR International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ICRMW International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families IGPSO Inspector-General of Police Standing Order IICC International Issues and Cooperation Committee IIUM International Islamic University Malaysia ILO International Labour Organisation IP Indigenous Peoples IPRC Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Committee ISA Internal Security Act 1960 JAKIM Islamic Development Department of Malaysia JAWI Islamic Affairs Department KLCC Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre KL LAC Kuala Lumpur Legal Aid Centre KOMNAS HAM Indonesian National Human Rights Commission KPIs Key Performance Indicators LGBT Lesbians, Gays, Bi-Sexuals and Transgender LRITWG Law Reform and International Treaties Working Group MACC Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission MoE Ministry of Education MoFA Ministry of Foreign Affairs MoH Ministry of Health MoHA Ministry of Home Affairs MoHE Ministry of Higher Education MRRD Ministry of Rural and Regional Development MWFCD Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development NCL Native Customary Land NCR Native Customary Rights NGO Non-governmental Organisation NHRAP National Human Rights Action Plan NHRI National Human Rights Institution NHRCT National Human Rights Commission of Thailand NI National Inquiry NIEW NAM Institute For the Empowerment of Women Malaysia NMM National Monitoring Mechanism NRD National Registration Department NREB National Resources Environmental Board OCPD Officer In-charge of Police District OHCHR Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights OP Optional Protocol OSA Official Secrets Act 1972 PACOS TRUST Partner of Community Organisations PAS Parti Islam Se-Malaya PPPA Printing Presses and Publication Act 1984 PSG Penan Support Group PWD Persons with Disabilities RELA People’s Volunteer Corps RMP Royal Malaysian Police ROP Rules of Procedure RTD Roundtable Discussion SAM Sahabat Alam Malaysia SCA ICC Sub-Committee on Accreditation SEANF Southeast Asia National Human Rights Institutions Forum SHRC Scottish Human Rights Commission SIS Sisters in Islam SOP Standard Operating Procedure SRSG UN Special Representative to the Secretary-General STA Sarawak Timber Association SUARAM Suara Rakyat Malaysia SWDM Social Welfare Department of Malaysia TIP Trafficking in Persons TOT Training of Trainers TPLP Thematic Protection Learning Programme UBBL Uniform Building By-Laws UiTM Universiti Teknologi Mara UN United Nations UNCT UN Country Team UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNDRIP United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UDHR Universal Declaration of Human Rights UPR Universal Periodic Review UPSI Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris VIHR Vietnamese Institute of Human Rights WAO Women’s Aid Organisation WGAD Working Group on Arbitrary Detention chairman’S MESSAGE chairman’S MESSAGE This 10th Annual Report of the Commission to Parliament also represents the first by the current Commission whose members were appointed in April. The Commission continues to receive numerous reports and complaints from members of the public pertaining to human rights abuses and violations. It is indeed encouraging to see that more Malaysians are becoming aware of, and are exercising, their fundamental rights today compared to a decade ago. They are also increasingly seeking the Commission’s intervention in supporting their rights. The Commission is responding to the best of its ability, albeit within the constraints of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999 (Act 597). The Commission owes a debt of gratitude to its 16 predecessors, headed by Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman, for their worthy contributions to the promotion and protection of human rights during their tenure. These have raised the Commission’s profile to a respectable level locally and internationally. The current seven-member Commission will continue promoting, protecting and monitoring the human rights situation just as assiduously, in spite of its reduced size, building on the achievements of the past. We believe that there should be no let-up in the quest to realise the ultimate goal of building a society that will have greater appreciation of, and respect for, human rights, thereby making Malaysia a fully human rights-respecting nation that stands proudly in the ranks of leading nations in this field. The Commission’s priority for the year has been to re-address human rights issues raised previously; to follow up on the many recommendations put forward by the previous Commission and other human rights defenders; and to ensure speedy