The All-Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group (PHRG) met with Malaysian activists on 14 December to review the current human rights situation in Malaysia and the 1MDB corruption case.

We would like to thank PHRG Chair, Ann Clwyd MP, for chairing this meeting.

The speakers were:

• Dr Yolanda Augustin – Malaysian doctor and volunteer co-ordinator with SUARAM International (YA);
• Jasbir Singh – Malaysian human resource consultant, human rights campaigner and volunteer co-ordinator for SUARAM International (JS).

The main points which arose were as follows:

• Anwar Ibrahim’s judicial review was dismissed on 13 December, which was disappointing. Anwar’s health continues to be a major concern and he has had difficulty getting timely medical attention while in prison. The US State Department has made strong statements in relation to Anwar’s case and has said that Anwar is a prisoner of conscience. 11 February will mark the second anniversary of Anwar’s latest imprisonment.
• The Malaysian corruption case in the US has been taken seriously. There has been further international attention generated, with The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, and Global Witness writing about the scandal.
• The current Prime Minister, Najib Razak, has reportedly hired spin-doctors to portray him as a moderate Muslim leader, but he has in fact has sowed division; six times more ISIS fighters come from Malaysia than from Indonesia. Activists such as Maria Chin have received death threats before a Free and Fair Election Movement rally in support of the pro-democracy and anti-corruption coalition group Bersih 2.0, supposedly from the Red Shirts. Sedition charges are being used against activists and campaigners such as cartoonist Zunar and politician Rafizi Ramli MP.
• The Malaysian election could be at any time after March 2017. An opposition election pact has been announced which should challenge the current Prime Minister Razak.

The PHRG will continue to monitor the situation in Malaysia, and Anwar’s welfare, closely, and to raise its concerns with the relevant interlocutors.