NGOs criticize Kuala Lumpur for tolerating Taib corruption and lacking commitment to hold free and fair elections – Swiss Parliament asked to tie Free Trade Agreement to human rights and environment guarantees
BERN, SWITZERLAND, February 7, 2012 –/WORLD-WIRE/– The Malaysian government is increasingly coming under fire in Europe over its flimsy human rights and environment record ahead of trade negotiations between Malaysia and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). EFTA, a multilateral organization comprising Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, is set to start talks with Malaysia over a Free Trade Agreement within the coming weeks.
In a memorandum submitted to the Swiss Parliament, the Bruno Manser Fund has stressed the authoritarian nature of Malaysia’s current political regime and the country’s failure to tackle high-level political corruption and necessary environmental policy reforms. “It is particularly disturbing that Malaysia is one of only 19 countries worldwide who are neither signatories nor parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, one of the United Nations’ basic human rights treaties”, the Bruno Manser Fund wrote in a statement. “We have asked the Swiss Parliament to tie a Free Trade Agreement with Malaysia to strict human rights and environment guarantees.”
The Malaysian government has recently been criticized for lacking the will to commit to fair and free elections and being unwilling to implement basic demands voiced by Bersih, the Malaysian democracy movement. The Bruno Manser Fund is also critical of the fact that, due to the arbitrary and obstructive conduct of Malaysia’s Electoral Commission, several hundred thousand natives from East Malaysia will be denied the right to vote in the upcoming General Election. According to the 2010 Election Commission figures, Sarawak alone has over 470,000 unregistered voters, a third of its total eligible citizens.
Probably the most extreme case of neglect of official duties is the Malaysian prosecutors’ inaction on timber corruption by Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud and his immediate family members. “We have informed the Swiss Parliamentary delegation that neither Malaysia’s Attorney-General nor the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission, nor the Inspector General of Police, have acted on our registered letters in which we set out details of Taib’s massive corruption and his foreign assets. This is a very serious case of neglect of the prosecutors’ official duties”, the Bruno Manser Fund wrote. Last December, thirteen NGOs from eight countries asked Malaysian prosecutors to arrest Taib and his closest family members for corruption and abuse of public office.
“Malaysia is a highly problematical case in terms of its human rights and democracy record”, Swiss Social Democrats’ MP Hans-Juerg Fehr said, ahead of hearings on the matter which are taking place in February 2012. Last week, Malaysia’s Minister for International Trade and Industry, Mustapa bin Mohamed, was in Zurich to lobby for the Free Trade Agreement with EFTA. He carefully avoided talking about corruption, human rights or the environment.
Please contact us for further information:
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