Team ABA

The 17th Coordinating Conference for the ASEAN Political-Security Community (ASCCO) convenes at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat

Team ABA August 22, 2025

ASEAN | The 17th Coordinating Conference for the ASEAN Political-Security Community (ASCCO) focused on the End-Term Review of the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Blueprint 2025. Insights were shared on the implementation of the Blueprint for the last 10 years, including on the challenges encountered and lessons learned.

Experts: Focus on prevention, not punishment, for bullying

Team ABA August 21, 2025

The Star | Commenting on the proposed tribunal for bullying cases, Bar Council member New Sin Yew said cases involving minors should be handled by experts rather than conventional law enforcement. He added that preventive measures are equally crucial for children’s overall well-being.

Mediation the right move for disputes, say experts

Team ABA August 21, 2025

The Star | Bar Council member New Sin Yew voiced his support for a legal system that encourages mediation, which will reduce the number of cases filed in court. He added that mediation must be conducted by certified and trained people to ensure fairness.

Penuaan penduduk, budaya buli antara punca perlu Kementerian Hak Asasi Manusia — AICHR

Team ABA August 21, 2025

Astro Awani | Malaysia wajar mempertimbangkan penubuhan sebuah Kementerian Hak Asasi Manusia khusus bagi memperkukuh reformasi institusi dan menangani isu baharu berasaskan hak asasi, kata Pengerusi Suruhanjaya Antara Kerajaan ASEAN Mengenai Hak Asasi Manusia (AICHR) yang juga wakil Malaysia ke AICHR, Edmund Bon Tai Soon.

Top 5 at 5: The CMA’s ‘Annoy’ and ‘Offensive’ Clause struck down

Team ABA August 19, 2025

BFM | Listen to New Sin Yew speak on the Court of Appeal’s decision that the words “annoy” and “offensive” in section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act are unconstitutional. He is one of the lawyers who represented activist Heidy Quah in her constitutional challenge.

Court strikes down ‘annoyance’ offence from communications law

Team ABA August 19, 2025

Malaysiakini | The Court of Appeal has struck down a provision in the Communications and Multimedia Act that criminalises content that “annoy” or is “offensive”. New Sin Yew, lawyer for activist Heidy Quah, said that the court ruled that including the words “annoy” and “offensive” in section 233 of the Act was not permissible, was disproportionate, and amounted to a prohibition of free speech.

Unconstitutional to criminalise offensive speech made online, rules court

Team ABA August 19, 2025

Free Malaysia Today | The Court of Appeal has unanimously struck down as unconstitutional the words “offensive” and “annoy” in the statute that criminalises the online transmission of offensive comments. New Sin Yew was one of Heidy Quah’s lawyers in the matter.

Malaysia still criminalises ‘grossly offensive’ online remarks, but here’s why today’s ruling on ‘offensive’ speech was lauded

Team ABA August 19, 2025

Malay Mail | Lawyer New Sin Yew commended the Court of Appeal’s “good”, “progressive” decision in Heidy Quah’s constitutional challenge. He added that civil society is expected to closely watch how the government uses the new version of section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act, which criminalises “grossly offensive” online remarks.

Don’t shoot the messenger: Court of Appeal says ‘offensive’ online remarks to ‘annoy’ can’t be a crime in Malaysia

Team ABA August 19, 2025

Malay Mail | The Court of Appeal today unanimously ruled that it is no longer a crime in Malaysia to make “offensive” online comments with the intention to “annoy”. New Sin Yew is one of the lawyers who represented activist Heidy Quah in her successful constitutional challenge.

Human rights committee appeal to UN, ASEAN over Thai ceasefire violations

Team ABA August 15, 2025

The Phnom Penh Post | The Cambodian Human Rights Committee issued an urgent appeal to UN and ASEAN agencies concerning unlawful barbed wire deployment and related actions by Thai armed forces. One of the appeal letters was sent to Edmund Bon Tai Soon, the Chair of AICHR.

Cambodia Urges UN Action Over Thai Military’s ‘Unlawful’ Barbed Wire Deployment

Team ABA August 15, 2025

Khmer Times | The Cambodian Human Rights Committee has called on the UN and ASEAN human rights bodies to urgently intervene following what its president described as “unlawful” incursions by the Royal Thai Armed Forces into Cambodian territory. A letter was sent to AICHR Chair Edmund Bon.

Joint press release of the 6th Interface Meeting between the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and civil society organisations (CSOs) with a consultative relationship with AICHR (9 July 2025, Kuala Lumpur)

Team ABA August 15, 2025

AICHR | The 6th Interface Meeting between AICHR and CSOs with a Consultative Relationship with AICHR allowed the sharing of insights, challenges, and good practices in promoting and protecting human rights in ASEAN. Parties also explored ways to enhance cooperation and reaffirmed the importance of sustained and meaningful engagement between AICHR and the CSOs.

Malaysia-led AICHR workshops in Jakarta to advance peace, human rights in ASEAN

Team ABA August 14, 2025

The Star | AICHR has begun a series of workshops in Jakarta to discuss mechanisms for conflict prevention and peacebuilding, international peace frameworks and approaches, and protecting human rights of all in conflict situations, while using a case study simulation to explore practical applications of ASEAN’s peace initiatives.

Saatnya ASEAN lompati tabu bahas topik sensitif

Team ABA August 14, 2025

Kompas | Bon menjelaskan, semasa kepimpinan Malaysia, AICHR menyasarkan untuk menghasilkan panduan penanganan konflik dan membina perdamaian. Kandungannya berupa langkah-langkah yang perlu diambil apabila berlaku konflik di rantau ini ataupun dalam negeri negara-negara anggota ASEAN.

Siaran akhbar: Dialog AICHR mengenai hala tuju dan pendekatan ke arah keamanan melalui bengkel ASEAN mengenai mekanisme pencegahan konflik, pembinaan keamanan dan hak asasi manusia di Jakarta, Indonesia (13-15 Ogos 2025)

Team ABA August 13, 2025

Kementerian Luar Negeri Malaysia | AICHR akan menganjurkan tiga bengkel di Jakarta untuk membincangkan mekanisme pencegahan konflik dan pembinaan keamanan, kerangka dan pendekatan keamanan antarabangsa, serta perlindungan hak asasi manusia dalam situasi konflik.

Official launch: New policy research on advancing gender-responsive conflict and crisis prevention in ASEAN

Team ABA August 13, 2025

ASEAN IPR | AICHR Chair Edmund Bon praised the “Advancing Gender-Responsive Conflict and Crisis Prevention in ASEAN” policy research report, calling it “the answer to a lot of questions”. He added that it contains a lot of really good recommendations, such as establishing a regional conflict and crisis prevention mechanism.

Press release: AICHR dialogues on pathways and approaches to peace through ASEAN workshops on mechanisms for conflict prevention, peacebuilding and human rights in Jakarta, Indonesia (13-15 August 2025)

Team ABA August 13, 2025

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia | AICHR will convene three workshops in Jakarta to discuss mechanisms for conflict prevention and peacebuilding, international peace frameworks and approaches, and protecting human rights of all in conflict situations.

Toward a binding human rights treaty in ASEAN: An analysis of AICHR’s five-year proposal (2026–2030)

Team ABA August 8, 2025

HDFF | Under Malaysia’s chairmanship and leadership of Edmund Bon, AICHR has proposed a roadmap for legally binding human rights conventions by 2030. But the region’s longstanding legal and political culture raises significant questions: Can ASEAN turn Southeast Asia’s ‘soft law’ human rights regime into a rules-based legal order? And if so, at what cost?

Appellate court rules EC was wrong to bar a person with COVID from voting

Team ABA August 6, 2025

The Edge Malaysia | The Court of Appeal ruled that the Election Commission was wrong in barring K Tamileswaraan from voting in the Johor state elections in 2022 because he had COVID-19. Counsel New Sin Yew, representing Tamileswaraan, said this is a groundbreaking decision.

AICHR launches thematic study on the right to peace and peace pathways workshops in ASEAN

Team ABA August 5, 2025

AICHR | On 1 July 2025, AICHR launched a report on its thematic study on the right to peace. On 2 July 2025, it conducted the “Building Peace — From Conflict Prevention to Sustainable Peace” workshop, the first in a series of six themed “Workshops on Intersection between Conflict and Human Rights: Pathways and Approaches to Peace in ASEAN”.