‘A giant step backwards for human rights’

Malaysia is a huge holiday destination for Aussies but its human rights record is questionable. Source: News Limited

IT is an island paradise frequented by Aussie tourists every year. It boasts stunning beaches and a bustling cosmopolitan city the envy of its Asian neighbours.

But this home away from home on our doorstep — less than 4000km away — is fast becoming a "human rights black hole".

The colourful description courtesy of Amnesty International refers to Malaysia, where the government this week introduced a law affording police wide-ranging powers to detain individuals without trial for an indefinite period of time.

The Prevention of Terrorism Act, approved 79 votes to 60 in Malaysia's parliament on Tuesday, was sold as a measure necessary to strengthen the country's protections against Islamic militants.

But critics say it's a giant step backwards for a country where public canings are commonplace and where peaceful marches are viewed as a direct insult to Prime Minister Najib Razak's authority.

The Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. Source: News Limited

HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS NOTHING NEW FOR MALAYSIA

Malaysia runs its own show. It does so despite numerous calls to improve its human rights record.

Among concerns highlighted in recent years are the government's tight control over freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of religion. There are two direct controls enshrined in Malaysian law — the Sedition Act and the Printing Press and Publications Act — that forbid democratic protests or material critical of the government.

Corporal punishment still takes place in Malaysia, too, where judicial caning is common following a criminal sentence. Amnesty International released a report in 2010 highlighting the long term impact, both physically and psychologically, of caning.

The Blow to Humanity report declared "caning in Malaysia has hit epidemic proportions" and suggested thousands of people each year were subjected to torture and ill-treatment.

Equally concerning is Malaysia's stance on sexuality. According to the New York-based Human Rights Watch, "open opposition to LGBT rights has increased as courts are more assertively prosecuting alleged LGBT activity".

Still, Australians continue to visit. In fact, more than 300,000 Aussies jumped on a plane bound for Malaysia between 2013 and 2014. That figure is up 247.9 per cent from a decade ago, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures.

Video still of an asylum-seeker detainee being beaten by a rattan cane while in detention centre in Malaysia. Picture: Amnesty International. Source: Supplied

NEW LAW 'LIKE AIMLESSLY STABBING IN THE DARK'

The Prevention of Terrorism Act passed in the early hours of the morning on Tuesday by a small margin.

The government said the measure was needed to turn the tide on a growing number of Malaysian citizens linked to Islamic State.

"This is a real threat, and prevention measures are needed," Malaysian Home Minister Zahid Hamidi said.

But critics have been quick to declare it a poor decision. Human Rights Watch called it a "giant step backwards for human rights" and the reopening of "Pandora's box for politically motivated, abusive state actions".

Amnesty International's Malaysia-based researcher Hazel Galang-Folli said the decision was "a shocking onslaught against human rights and the rule of law".

"Abandoning people to rot in a cell for years on end without a judicial process and proof that they have committed a crime is just like aimlessly stabbing in the dark. Authorities must ensure that human rights and fair trial guarantees are respected and protected," he said.

"With the stroke of a pen, Malaysia has managed to get one step closer to becoming a 'human rights black hole' where fundamental rights to a fair trial or freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, even if enshrined in the Malaysian constitution, are increasingly being undermined in the name of national security."

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