Press Statement: Singapore Government Must Withdraw Threat of Contempt of Court Action Against Rights Lawyer M Ravi, News Portal & Lawyers for Liberty 3 September 2021 We refer to the publication on 1st September by news portal MalaysiaNow of the details of a historic lawsuit by 17 Malay death row inmates against the…
RECOMMENDATIONS TO REDUCE OVERCROWDING IN PRISON TO CURB COVID-19 SPREAD 9 November 2020 INTRODUCTION Since our last statement dated 19 October 2020, the health crisis in Malaysian prisons has only worsened. Malaysia’s prisons and detention centres remain a breeding ground for the transmission of COVID-19. On 3 November 2020, Director General of Health, Dr…
1MDB is all the reason you need to vote out Najib and BN Just a few days away from GE14, with Dr Mahathir Mohamad leading the opposition charge towards Putrajaya, one gets the feeling that this will be a momentous occasion for Malaysia. Older readers may recall a time back in the 1980s and the…
Stealing GE14 A couple of weeks away from GE14, Malaysians are finally coming to terms with the lengths the Barisan Nasional (BN) government will go to ensure that they come out on top once again. Sensing a renewed Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition challenge under the leadership of Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister Najib Razak and…
A boatful of hope for Rohingya refugees in Malaysia Often called the most friendless people in the world, the recent interception of 56 Rohingya refugees on a boat off the island of Langkawi is the latest entry in their never-ending saga. Forced out of their homes in Rakhine State, Myanmar under a slow genocide, their…
How to not draft a Fake News Law Jumping on the Donald Trump ‘fake news’ bandwagon, Law Minister Azalina Othman announced on 30 January 2018, the formation of a special committee to look into new legislation to curb fake news that could threaten political stability, public order and national security. Her announcement came on the…
The trouble with MCMC’s ‘fake news’ crusade and the biggest personal data breach in our history In late October 2017, news began to spread of what would eventually come to be known as the biggest personal data breach in Malaysia’s history – the customer data of more than 46 million consumers of mobile phone subscribers (Altel,…
Amri Che Mat, Shia Muslims and national security in Malaysia Some 14 months after Amri Che Mat’s mysterious disappearance, his case appears no closer to being resolved. An ongoing inquiry by SUHAKAM has prompted a verbal back and forth between Norhayati Ariffin, the victim’s wife, and Perlis mufti, Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, with the…
When citizenship is politicised – the plight of the stateless in Malaysia Of all the tragedies to befall the stateless community in Malaysia, perhaps the greatest one is that they are treated as little more than a political gimmick, a useful way to earn votes as election season swings around. In May 2017, with the…
Transgender misrepresentation in the news media In the latest twist to the ongoing Nur Sajat saga, the well-known cosmetic entrepreneur bemoaned the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and the public preoccupation over her gender identity. ‘This gender issue…is like the country’s biggest issue,’ she wrote in Malay on her Facebook page. She continued. ‘Should Nur…
Gambaran yang salah oleh media berita terhadap transgender Dalam perkembangan terbaharu saga Nur Sajat, usahawan kosmetik yang terkenal tersebut menyuarakan kerunsingan beliau terhadap keasyikan Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim) dan orang awam terhadap identiti jantinanya. ‘Issues jantina ini…ibarat issues masalah besar dalam negara..’ ujarnya di dalam kemaskini status halaman Facebook beliau. ‘Tetapi patut ker issues…
An Urgent Call for Reform in the Post-Mortem Process in Custodial Deaths It has long been established at common law that deaths that occur while a person is in the custody of the state are of particular concern as they occur behind closed doors and involve persons who are exceptionally vulnerable. All such cases must…
Our Top Five Recommendations for the new Inspector-General of Police We at Lawyers for Liberty congratulate Datuk Seri Mohd Fuzi Harun on your recent promotion as the new Inspector-General of Police. As you may know, we work on numerous human rights and constitutional issues, and in the process we have had more than our fair share of…
Job Description for Legal/Campaign Coordinator Lawyers for Liberty is seeking a qualified and motivated applicant for the position of Legal/ Campaign Coordinator to support its work through human rights and public interest litigation, research, campaign and advocacy work. Vacancy Announcement Position Title: Legal/Campaign Coordinator Employment Type: Full time, 1 year contract (subject to initial…
A Case for Malaysia to Ratify the UN Convention Against Torture On 10 December 1984, the same day Anglican bishop Desmond Tutu was honoured with the Nobel Peace Prize for his non-violent struggle against the apartheid regime in South Africa, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) was…