Open letter to the Vice-Chancellor of UKM

Last Friday, I received a telephone call from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s (UKM) chapter of the Asian Law Students’ Association (ALSA) to inform me that my invitation to speak at their national conference on Sunday had been abruptly cancelled by the UKM administration, apparently on the account that I was “controversial”.   I had been scheduled…

LFL: A bleak Human Rights Day for Malaysia, again

Commentary A bleak Human Rights Day for Malaysia, again On this Human Rights Day on 10th December which commemorates the day, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Malaysia once again has very little to celebrate. The nation’s human rights status in 2015 is nothing short of deplorable, probably the worst since the height…

Malaysia must help the Rohingya refugees, here and now

Rakhine, one of the poorest and most isolated states in Myanmar, is ‘home’ to some 800,000 Rohingya, who surely count as the world’s most persecuted people. They have remained stateless for decades, with neither home nor citizenship, popping up on the world’s consciousness only when a humanitarian crisis strikes – like the ongoing reality drama…

Hudud: 20 soalan untuk PAS

Walaupun ditentang hebat oleh pelbagai pihak, Pas dalam kebijaksanaannya masih lagi berkeras bahawa sekarang adalah waktu yang sesuai untuk melaksanakan undang-undang hudud di Kelantan dan akan mengadakan sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri Khas pada 29 Disember ini untuk mengemukakan satu pindaan terhadap Rang Undang-undang Kanun Jenayah Syariah II 1993 (Pindaan 2014). Hudud merupakan sebahagian daripada undang-undang…

My top 5 enemies of human rights in Malaysia – Eric Paulsen

In conjunction with World Human Rights Day on December 10, instead of the usual state of human rights in Malaysia and the importance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as the common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, here are my top 5 enemies of human rights in Malaysia. 1. Prime…

LFL Article/Commentary: PEMECATAN EXCO: MENTERI BESAR ATAU SULTAN ?

Petang ini kita sekali lagi dikejutkan dengan tindakan Abdul Khalid Ibrahim memecat 6 orang Ahli Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri dari Parti Tindakan Demokratik (DAP) dan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (Keadilan) berkuatkuasa serta merta. Tindakan Abdul Khalid Ibrahim tersebut kononnya dibuat berikutan tindakan 6 orang Exco tersebut yang telah membuat beberapa kenyataan dan menandatangani surat supaya diadakan…

The Coroner’s Court is Old Wine in New Bottle

Imagine my surprise when I read Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri’s sudden announcement of the commencement of the Coroner’s Court to replace the inquest system (New Straits Times, 3 April 2014 – “Nancy: Coroner’s Court starts April 15”) when there was no consultation with the Malaysian Bar or civil society on a…

A Personal Tribute to Karpal Singh

It was truly shocking and heartbreaking to hear of Mr Karpal Singh’s sudden death this morning, a man whom I still refer to as “Boss” even though I left his law firm almost 15 years ago. It was only last night that I regaled my younger colleagues with anecdotes of my time working with him…

Anwar’s verdict and Malaysia’s democratic future

Ever since Anwar Ibrahim was sacked as Deputy Prime Minister in 1998, the government has continuously misused state institutions especially the police, the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the judiciary to persecute him on what were clearly politically motivated and trumped up charges. Anwar was beaten to within an inch of his life by then Inspector-General of…