SUARAM – Suara Rakyat Malaysia – Working for Human Rights

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SUARAM Annual Human Rights Report 2018

Human Rights Must be the Foundation of Malaysia’s Reform

Digital copy of SUARAM Annual Human Rights Report will be available for download HERE until 31 July 2019.

Missed our launch? Tune in to our recording at Youtube!

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) Annual Human Rights Report 2018 aims to outline the situation pertaining to human rights in Malaysia for the year 2018. The human rights discourse has evolved drastically following the 14th General Election. However, the first change in administration in Malaysia does not mean an end to the culture of impunity that characterize the human rights violations in Malaysia. Even under the new administration, crucial reforms to remedy the ongoing human rights violations have been slow and met with substantial opposition.

UMNO-PAS ALLIANCE – WHO’S TO BLAME?

Press statement by Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser 14 Sept 2019

The just solemnized alliance of UMNO-PAS is bad news for Malaysians who have worked for anti-racist solutions to our nation’s challenges since colonial times. At the same time, while Pakatan Harapan leaders try to mock this Malay/Muslim-based alliance on the basis of racial alignment and leadership, shouldn’t they be asking themselves how this scenario has come about and how they have contributed to it?

OUR SQUANDERED OIL FUND COULD HAVE BEEN OUR PENSION FUND

Press statement by Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser 13 Sept 2019

The Malaysian government is pointing to our near empty national coffers as a justification for not paying pensions to our civil servants. Considering our petroleum industry started in the 1970s, compare our financial state to that of the Government Pension Fund of Norway, also known as their Oil Fund which was only established in 1990 to invest the surplus revenues of the Norwegian petroleum sector. The Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global is invested in international financial markets, so the risk is independent from the Norwegian economy. Today, their Pension Fund has over US$1 trillion in assets, including 1.5% of global stocks and shares, making it the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund. In 2018 it was worth about $195,000 per Norwegian citizen.

NO PENSION FOR CIVIL SERVANTS BUT MULTIPLE PENSIONS FOR POLITICIANS?

Press statement by Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser 9 Sept 2019

The government is contemplating a new scheme whereby appointments in the public service will no longer be made under the permanent and pension schemes but will be replaced with a contractual scheme. This was announced by Public Service Department director-general Borhan Dolah. He said this is aimed at reducing the burden of pensions which is now reaching RM28 billion. He said existing civil servants might be given the option to switch to the new contractual scheme.

MICHAEL BELOFF QC AFFIRMS THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF VERNACULAR SCHOOLS

Press statement by Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser 2 September 2019

The Honourable Michael J Beloff QC, former President of Trinity College, Oxford, Treasurer of the Honourable Society of Grays Inn and Counsel for Merdeka University Bhd in the suit against the Government of Malaysia in 1981/82 has affirmed the constitutionality of vernacular schools in Malaysia. Ever since the 1982 Federal Court judgement against the establishment of Merdeka University, some politicians and constitutional lawyers have used it as an argument against the existence of vernacular schools in Malaysia.

MAKE THE FIRST MOVE KAK WAN!

Press statement by Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser 30 Aug 2019

It is clear that Mahathir is playing political games over the exact moment when Anwar is to take over as Prime Minister. He now says there is no vacancy in the Cabinet for a Cabinet reshuffle to accommodate the hapless Anwar who has been waiting more than twenty years to be Prime Minister.