The All-Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group (PHRG) was pleased to welcome MPs Rafizi Ramli and Wong Chen, of the People’s Justice Party of Malaysia to the UK Parliament to discuss the human rights situation in the country.
The main points raised:
- 19 MPs are currently subject to legal proceedings in Malaysia, most of them having been charged under the controversial Sedition Act.
- Rafizi Ramli is being charged with violating section 504 of the penal code, which criminalizes “intentional insult with intent to breach the peace.” He fears he will be disqualified from Parliament because of this.
- Under the National Security Council Bill, which is likely to be passed shortly, the Prime Minister will be given widespread powers over security. Rights groups have called it an instrument for repression.
- The detained opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, has been in hospital recently and is being denied basic physiotherapy. He is also restricted from proper access to his lawyers.
- The UK Government should call for Anwar Ibrahim to have access to healthcare of his choice, as well as full access to legal counsel.
Baroness Berridge raised the issue of illicit monetary flows from countries such as Malaysia being used to buy UK property assets. Read more about this issue in Transparency International’s report.
It is Anwar’s first anniversary in prison on 10th February 2016. The PHRG will be marking this occasion by raising further awareness about his case.
