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Reformasi or Reformati?
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17, 2025: Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Malaysia’s 10th Prime MIn ister (PMX) Anwar Ibrahim to reverse his Government’s current course restricting fundamental freedoms.
HRW’s deputy Asia director Bryony Lau said Anwar promised Malaysians sweeping reforms, but his Government had instead sought to restrict freedoms of expression, assembly, and religions.
HRW’s 546-report detailing human rights practices in more than 100 countries throughout 2024 said instead of fulfilling promises for reforms, Anwar’s so-called Madani Unity Government (UG) expanded repressive powers to criminalise speech.
No News Is Bad News reproduces below a news report on the HRW’s report:
Fundamental freedoms and human rights backslide under Anwar, says global report
Human Rights Watch says instead of fulfilling promises for reforms, Anwar Ibrahim's government expanded repressive powers to criminalise speech.
January 17, 2025 12:32 PM
Anwar Ibrahim joins supporters in chants of 'reformasi" hours after being sworn in to top office in November 2022.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has been urged to reverse his government's current course restricting fundamental freedoms, rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said as it released its latest global report.
The 546-report detailing human rights practices in more than 100 countries throughout 2024, said Malaysia under Anwar had backtrackded on pledges to reform variouls draconian laws, and instead expanded repressive powers to criminalise speech.
“Anwar promised Malaysians sweeping reforms, but his government has instead sought to restrict freedoms of expression, assembly, and religion,” said Bryony Lau, HRW's deputy Asia director.
"As Anwar’s government steps up to lead Asean in 2025, the government should champion rights both in Malaysia and across the region."
It cited recent proposals to expand powers of the Sedition Act and the Communications and Media Act, saying it was part of a crackdown on free speech.
"Malaysia’s new Cyber Security Act, which came into force in August, expands the government’s powers to police online expression," said HRW.
It also accused immigration authorities of rights violations, as well as forcible evictions of stateless and indigenous peoples in east Malaysia.
"The Malaysian government detains over 16,000 refugees and migrants in immigration detention centres, facing physical abuse, malnutrition, and medical neglect.
"Malaysian authorities deny the rights of Indigenous peoples, especially in eastern Malaysia, where business operations are caried out in forests that Indigenous peoples inhabit. In Sabah, the authorities forcibly evicted hundreds of Bajau Laut, a stateless, nomadic, ethnolinguistic group," it added.
The report meanwhile noted reservations on the constitutional amendments on citizenship laws, which granted Malaysian mothers rights equal to men in passing down citizenship to children born abroad.
"The bill, however, still contains problematic provisions, including revoking automatic citizenship for children born in Malaysia to permanent residents."
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