Human Rights Developments

Defending Human Rights

The Role of the International Community

Malaysia's human rights groups continued to operate despite government pressure. In April, Anwar's daughter, Nurul Izzah, met with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson about her father's imprisonment and addressed the 56th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission in Geneva. Three Malaysian human rights organizations, Voice of the Malaysian People (Suara Rakyat Malaysia, SUARAM), Aliran, and the National Human Rights Society (Hakam) met in May with the new Human Rights Commission and delivered a memorandum signed by thirty-one NGOs. On August 1, SUARAM organized a gathering of NGOs to protest the fortieth anniversary of the Internal Security Act (ISA).

The Malaysian Bar Council in March adopted a motion urging Malaysia's chief prosecutor to withdraw the charges against Karpal Singh and to respect the rights of an independent bar. In June, the High Court enjoined the Bar Council from convening a special meeting to discuss allegations of impropriety against the chief justice. In July, the Court of Appeal affirmed a November 1999 decision that if the Bar Council held a special meeting on the independence of the judiciary, it would contravene the Sedition Act, erode public confidence in the judiciary, and be in contempt of court. In both instances, the court ordered that the Bar Council meet the litigation costs.