For immediate release
9 December 2016
International Human Rights Day Message:
Stand Up for Your Rights, Stand Up the Rights of All!!
Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia (GBM) would like to take this opportunity of the International Human Rights Day, which falls on December 10 every year, to congratulate all Malaysians who have relentlessly promoted and protected human rights and fundamental freedoms in Malaysia at all fronts, at times even at the great risk to their personal freedom and security.
We are encouraged that the huge number that turned up at the Bersih 5 rally on 19 November 2016 had, once again, showed that Malaysians could exercise their constitutional rights peacefully and responsibly. Freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly are part and parcel of a healthy and functioning democracy and these rights of the people must be respected by the government.
It is absolutely absurd that those who campaigned peacefully for free and fair elections, a corner stone of democracy, are investigated or charged for undermining parliamentary democracy while those who allegedly used the money of 1MDB to fund election campaigns and those who stoke racial hatreds and violence, remain scot free.
We are extremely concerned that despite overwhelming evidence being exposed in the 1MDB scandal and the large sum of laundered money involved in the civil suit filed by the Department of Justice of the United States, it is shocking to this day that the police and the Attorney General have showed no interest in finding out who Malaysian Official 1 (MO1) really is.
This phenomenon points not only to the rampant corruption, which is deeply entrenched now in the system, but also the arrogance of the concentration of power and the complete failure of our public institutions, such as the Chambers of the Attorney General, the police, the Bank Negara etc in checking abuses of power and defend public interest.
Instead of serving public interest, many of these institutions are now serving the power-that-be and abusing their power against the people. Those who exposed corruption are charged with Official Secret Act. Thos who criticized the abuse of power of the government are clamped down with the Sedition Act. Those who rallied the people demanding for clean election and clean government are detained without trial under the new Internal Security Act (ISA) – the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (SOSMA) and Section 124 of the Penal Code for undermining democracy.
The damage of this trend of development is no longer confined to politics, or civil and political rights of the people. The economy of Malaysia has suffered with the losing of confidence in Malaysian government by international investors, the massive brain drain, the sharp rising living cost for the people and the massive cuts in the budget for social services such as education, healthcare, housing etc, which are fundamental in ensuring a quality life for the rakyat. In other words, the economic, social and cultural rights of the people are severely undermined now.
Malaysian people, regardless of race and religion, must act now to stop the rot and save this beautiful country of ours. All Malaysians must exercise their rights in opposing draconian laws such as the Sedition Act, SOSMA, Official Secret Act, Section 124 of the Penal Code, the Peaceful Assembly Act, the National Security Council Act, the Prevention of Crime Act (POCA), the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) etc. All Malaysians must exercise their rights in rejecting corruption before corruption ruined the whole country and the livelihood of the people completely.
The future of the country lies with each and every actions that we take to hold the government accountable.
Issued by Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia (GBM) Executive Council
For inquiry, please contact:
- Zaid Kamaruddin, Chairperson of Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia, +60 19 321 0963 or email [email protected]