Human rights in Malaysia

The situation of human rights in Malaysia is controversial as there have been numerous allegations of human rights abuses in the country. Human rights groups and foreign governments are generally critical of the Malaysian government and the Royal Malaysian Police. Preventive detention laws such as the Internal Security Act and the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 allow for detention without trial or charge and as such are a source of concern for human rights organisations like SUARAM.

In 2013, Malaysia was ranked 147 out of 180 nations by Reporters Without Borders in the Press Freedom Index.

As of 2013, Malaysia is rated as "Partly Free" in the Freedom in the World report.

Several Malaysian laws are used to restrict basic human rights. Recent sweeping changes in these laws have been described by the government as human-rights reforms but, according to critics, have actually, in some regards, made restrictions even more stringent.

The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has defended its strict controls on human rights with the explanation that the nation “takes a holistic approach to human rights in that it views all rights as indivisible and interdependent. In Malaysia, the rights of every citizen are protected by legal provisions in the Federal Constitution....But these rights are not absolute and are subject to, among others, public order, morality and security of the country.” Hence, while claiming to “uphold...the universal principles of human rights,” Malaysia finds it important to “take into account the history of the country as well as the religious, social and cultural diversities of its communities. This is to ensure that the respect for social harmony is preserved and protected. The practices of human rights in Malaysia are reflections of a wider Asian value system where welfare and collective well-being of the community are more significant compared to individual rights.”

The country is especially well known for arresting persons without warrants and detaining them indefinitely without trial, and for placing strict limitations on freedom of speech, press, assembly, and association in the name of social order. Among the other problems cited in a US State Department report in 2011 are the abuse and even death of persons held by police; punishment by caning; trafficking in persons; systematic official prejudice in favour of ethnic Malays; forced labour by migrant workers and others; and child labour on plantations.

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