Mr President

Excellencies

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen.

I thank the United Nations Human Rights Council President, Excellency Jürg Lauber, for inviting me as Chair of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) to say a few words at this High-Level Segment. I understand this is the first time an AICHR Chair has addressed the segment. I am honoured.

Excellencies, the world we live in today is a dangerous place. Conflicts, wars, bombings, genocide, famine, climate change, forced displacements are just some of the troubling developments, dominating our news. Some nations deliberately ignore international law, while others pretend to uphold human rights while actively committing violations. Worse still, others pick and choose what they wish to follow. But as we witness these challenges,  human rights is a powerful tool to defend individuals from unjust practices. The individuals who most need human rights are also the most powerless and voiceless in society.

Those living in poverty.

Those ostracised.

The journalist threatened with jail for expressing his views.

The parent whose child is lost to disease.

The student punished for organising a peaceful assembly.

The woman whose employment is terminated because she is pregnant.

The indigenous community whose land is taken away unfairly.

Those living in the shadow of the gallows.

Surely, these are important matters worth fighting for. 

Excellencies, I am here before you today as a representative of a Commission deeply committed to promoting and protecting human rights. Every day, we work with a clear purpose: to innovate and evolve our strategies to promote, protect, and uplift the human rights of current and future generations.

Excellencies, 2025 marks a historic year for Malaysia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In 2015, Malaysia chaired ASEAN when the “ASEAN Community Vision 2025: Forging Ahead Together” was adopted. This year, ASEAN will adopt a new vision for the next 20 years. Malaysia’s guiding ASEAN theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability” is at the heart of Malaysia’s MADANI concept.

Inclusivity is not merely a goal; it is a call to action. It demands that we listen to those made vulnerable and marginalised. They include women, children, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, Orang Asli, Orang Asal, migrant workers, refugees, asylum-seekers, stateless persons, ethnic, religious, linguistic, and gender minorities, and human rights and environmental rights defenders. It is when we design processes that work well for those at most disadvantage, that we know that these will work to advance human rights for all.

Sustainability has at its core the respect for human and environmental rights. We must ensure that today’s development does not compromise future generations’ dignity, rights, and needs.

Since its inception in 2009, AICHR has worked tirelessly to advance human rights through strategic initiatives. Despite facing challenges and criticisms, I am proud of AICHR’s convening power and reach to work for human rights. This year, AICHR will continue to champion an ASEAN-led and ASEAN-owned whole-of-ASEAN approach to promote peace, inclusive growth, and sustainable development.

Excellencies, human rights practitioners must be prepared to face resistance. Many do not like human rights. They fear it because it holds dictators and abusers accountable. They fear it because human rights speak of uncomfortable realities and truths. They fear it because human rights challenges power. But we must never shy away. Human rights are non-negotiable.

We must not delude ourselves into thinking that we will have no detractors. But if AICHR continues to be partisan for human rights and we can enjoy the support of international human rights institutions such as this Council, we have nothing to fear. We share a common interest in a robust human rights mechanism that will treat all individuals with dignity, regardless of their background, identity, or status.

Excellencies, I commend the Human Rights Council for its efforts to further its relationship with the AICHR. We can learn from each other.

During our leadership of ASEAN, we will leave no stone unturned. I continue to remain optimistic about human rights. There will always be those who will mischaracterise human rights for their interests or agendas. We have little time for them. Instead, we will spend time fighting against abuses and urge the Human Rights Council to do the same.

Let us be courageous in the face of adversity, knowing that if we keep knocking hard enough and often enough, the doors to peace and justice will eventually open.

Human rights are worth fighting for. Let’s fight for it together.

A video recording of these remarks was screened on 26 February 2025 at the high-level segment of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council that took place from 24 to 26 February 2025. The recording of the remarks can be accessed here. The video of the high-level segment is accessible here, archived here. A related post on X by the Permanent Mission of Malaysia to the UN in Geneva is archived here.