By: Natalie Shobana
Ambrose
theSun, Malaysia (pg
12)
May 31st, 2012
“Nothing
but the truth” was the Indonesian government’s tag line of the day when
commenting on the country’s periodical human rights report being presented at
the United Nations Human Rights Council last week. Foreign Minister Marty
Natalegawa told the press: “We will present things as they are. No more, no
less.”
I was impressed by the
desire and spoken determination of an Asean government to want to address the
shortcomings of its country given that many Asean countries recoil when it
comes to upholding human rights.
Admittedly there were
many more scathing reports later about Indonesia’s weakness in championing the
freedom of religion, yet there was an acknowledgement by the government for its
need to do more, a verbal commitment to follow through and the maturity to heed
criticism – which showed that Indonesia even with chinks in its armour was
spearheading the human rights agenda within Asean and even has a Ministry of
Justice and Human Rights.
Sadly, this highlight
came at a time in our country where a human rights defender had been questioned
for statements in an interview. The statements were Irene Fernandez’s comment
about Malaysia not being safe for Indonesian workers because it did not have a
legal framework or specific laws to protect migrant workers.
It continued that she
had claimed Bangladeshis in Malaysia were often harassed by the country’s
authority. She was accused of tarnishing the image of the country, being
unpatriotic and causing a two-left feet slip-up in Malaysia’s diplomatic dance
with Indonesia.
Yet a few days later
after the kooky kerfuffle about her “wrongdoings”, Minister in the Prime
Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz admitted that the
management of foreign workers affairs could no longer be carried out on an ad
hoc basis and will look into having a Foreign Workers Act. A similar call for
more protection mechanisms said only by different mouthpieces and one now faces
possible criminal charges.
The abuses that
foreign workers in Malaysia have endured is well documented, to the point two
other Asean countries have imposed a moratorium on Malaysia bringing in foreign
workers. Are not those who abuse foreign workers under their care the ones that
have embarrassed and tarnished the name of the nation? The humiliating question
then of how many other Asean countries have had lifted moratoriums reinstated
needs to play as a bitter reminder of the country’s neglect.
So instead of being
the headlights of civilised Asean countries, we are now determined to even give
up the position of taillights for mud flaps, intimidating and harassing not the
abusers but those speaking up for basic protection mechanisms for foreign
workers.
Malaysia’s foreign
policy is stained not by human rights defenders stating the obvious. Our
foreign policy is stained by those who restrict and inflict fear in people
brave enough to stand up for the rights of other human beings.
So many of us practise
tacit consent, when we should instead be using our freedom to speak up for
those who can’t and standing up for what is right. Maybe if we all did, we
would raise the bar of conversation in the public sphere – which now seems to
be curtailed with the curbing of our freedom to be a thinking, active and
informed society.
Malaysia attempted to
be the headlights of civilisation a while ago by calling for a Global Movement
of Moderates yet the level of buffoonery taking place daily has made it hard to
be even a tad bit impressed with this so called moderates movement.
Making lofty promises
overseas and talking about ideals and wants with regards to human rights is not
measured by the applause for a speech but measured by how those affected are
treated.
This is where our
country suffers a great disconnect. Where policies and promises seem to be
traced in air and built on water when it comes to implementation because there
are two different rules depending on which political side one is perceived to
support – hazing the real issues and taking away the urgency of putting things
right.
In a mature democracy
there is communication and dialogue, temperance and mutual respect – the use of
force is not an option – all words of a speech describing the moderate movement
Malaysia convinced the rest of the world to follow.
Yet when juxtaposed
against the backdrop of what is happening to human rights defenders in our
country – these ideal attributes are missing on our Malaysian soil. How then
are we to be the headlights of civilisation?
Natalie believes in
the Amnesty saying that
“the
only thing necessary for the persistence of evil
is for enough good people to
do nothing”.
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