Malaysia

Following a period of repression and political instability, Malaysia’s November 2022 general elections led to the appointment of long-time opposition leader and former political prisoner Anwar Ibrahim as the country’s prime minister. Under previous administrations, authorities aggressively cracked down on free speech and peaceful protests and increased discrimination and harassment of refugees, migrants, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Pledges to abolish offenses carrying a mandatory death penalty went unmet. With a range of rights-restricting laws on the books, a police force with a history of abuse and impunity, and state institutions weakened by corruption, the new unity government faces steep challenges in upholding human rights.