Documentation

DEATHS IN CUSTODY: INCAPACITY FOR OUTRAGE IN ‘NEW MALAYSIA’

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

What does it take to make every elected representative and police officer feel outrage whenever there is a case of a death in custody?

Under the bad old Barisan Nasional regime, deaths in police and enforcement agencies’ custody were shrugged off with sickening indifference. It is already 10 years since the death of Teoh Beng Hock at the headquarters of the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), 10 years without the closure that only the truth can make possible.

Wan Ji Imprisonment another Failure

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) is disappointed by the decision of the High Court of Shah Alam in the conviction of Wan Ji Wan Hussin under the Sedition Act 1948.

The Sedition Act 1948 is an archaic legislation that restricts freedom of expression contrary to the rights provided for under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. In the recent years, the Sedition Act 1948 gained notoriety after it was abused by the government to silence dissent and punish activists and political opponents of the administration.

Fahmi Reza’s Conviction: What is Harapan’s Commitment to Freedom of Expression?

For Immediate Release
6 July 2019

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) is disappointed by the Court of Appeal decision in rejecting the appeal by Fahmi Reza against his conviction under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

PAA Amendment: Still Repressive

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) is concerned with the feeble amendments to the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 that fails to fulfil Malaysian’s right to freedom of assembly.

The Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 (PAA) was one of the often-used tools by Barisan Nasional Administration in suppressing dissent. Organisers of Bersih rallies, Blackout 505, #KitaLawan, #TangkapNajib all manage to land themselves a spot in detention centres because of PAA. Activists from SUARAM and countless other NGOs continue to be harassed by investigations under PAA whenever a public assembly is organised by NGOs.

CIVIL SERVICE DECLINE: EVIDENCE & PERCEPTION

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

The response to the World Bank report that the performance of Malaysia’s civil service has been declining since 2014 has been remarkable. World Bank lead public sector specialist Rajni Bajpai said that the report decided to compare Malaysia with the OECD countries as we are hoping to move from a middle-income to that of high-income status country: