Blawg

ARCHIVES

Briefing by Edmund Bon, Chair of AICHR and Representative of Malaysia to AICHR, at the 1st Malaysian Human Rights and Environmental Rights Dialogue: Malaysia’s human rights priorities for ASEAN 2025 as Chair

Edmund Bon January 9, 2025

Edmund Bon, Representative of Malaysia to AICHR, outlines the human rights priorities for ASEAN 2025 during his term as AICHR Chair. He welcomes the unparalleled opportunity to address pressing human rights challenges facing ASEAN, and emphasises that Malaysia cannot countenance the dilution of international human rights law and standards, nor be wilfully blind to impunity.

Rosmah’s acquittal: Examining the legal basis of the charges

Amer Hamzah December 20, 2024

Amer Hamzah Arshad, one of the lawyers defending Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, explores the legal arguments behind the recent acquittal on 17 charges of money laundering. This article outlines key legal issues, including the flawed nature of the charges and the lack of identifiable unlawful proceeds.

Self-defeating amendments to section 233 of CMA

New Sin Yew December 13, 2024

Section 233 of the CMA is a provision often used by successive governments to stifle dissent and criticism. Since the law is already bad, what do the government amendments attempt to do, and do they make it any better? New Sin Yew lays out the confusing circular logic in section 233 and urges the government to exclude the amendments to section 233 CMA from the current bill.

The ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue: Three things to watch out for

Umavathni Vathanaganthan and Edmund Bon September 5, 2024

The ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue offers opportunities for Member States to be more transparent and frank in their discussions of human rights – as the key avenue for making stronger progress through normalizing talk of human rights and addressing issues.

Business and human rights: Reimagining a new human rights-friendly Malaysia

Edmund Bon August 19, 2024

While ESG is important, most of its measures are not couched in rights. Rights give rise to justiciable claims and empower victims and survivors to go to the courts. We need to take legal, policy, and administrative measures to incorporate human rights into our governance and laws. Human rights and environmental due diligence must be mandatory to protect vulnerable communities.

173 action items recommended for Malaysia’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights on governance, labour and the environment

Edmund Bon August 15, 2024

Edmund extended his appreciation to the team of experts and everyone who contributed to the drafting of the National Baseline Assessment on Business and Human Rights in Malaysia. The report presented important recommendations: to mainstream human rights, to make human rights and environmental due diligence mandatory, and to better protect marginalised communities.

Megatrends: Geopolitics, geoeconomics, ASEAN Centrality, and human rights

Edmund Bon August 8, 2024

Speaking on geopolitical and geoeconomic megatrends in ASEAN, Edmund Bon cautioned that, while the economic “decoupling” between the West and China may offer opportunities to ASEAN, human rights including labour rights, environmental rights, right to information, and right to self-determination need to be at the forefront of economic development in the region. Only then can we say we have achieved an ASEAN Centrality that can adequately safeguard our peoples.

Invitation to book launch, 12 June 2024, Bangkok — Business and Human Rights in Southeast Asia #2: A GuideKit to Operationalise Human Rights Due Diligence on Forced Labour

Team ABA June 6, 2024

A noticeable shift is occurring in the assessment of corporate responsibility towards human rights, from voluntary initiatives and market-driven standards towards stricter regulatory requirements, including the growing utilisation of trade sanctions. With the abundance of available approaches, where should businesses even begin? Join us on 12 June 2024 (Wednesday), 4.30pm in Bangkok to find out more.

Benchmark Litigation 2024: Strong commercial understanding, excels in legal research

Team ABA May 7, 2024

Benchmark Litigation ranked AmerBON as “Highly Recommended” under the category of White Collar Crime, and “Notable” under Commercial and Transactions. One client’s feedback on AmerBON’s work: “Effective client management, strong commercial understanding of business partnerships, and a brilliant comprehension of how, why, and what to seek in a commercial arrangement to advise on litigation pressure points.”

Briefing by Edmund Bon, Chair of AICHR and Representative of Malaysia to AICHR, at the 1st Malaysian Human Rights and Environmental Rights Dialogue: Malaysia’s human rights priorities for ASEAN 2025 as Chair

January 9, 2025

Edmund Bon, Representative of Malaysia to AICHR, outlines the human rights priorities for ASEAN 2025 during his term as AICHR Chair. He welcomes the unparalleled opportunity to address pressing human rights challenges facing ASEAN, and emphasises that Malaysia cannot countenance the dilution of international human rights law and standards, nor be wilfully blind to impunity.

Rosmah’s acquittal: Examining the legal basis of the charges

December 20, 2024

Amer Hamzah Arshad, one of the lawyers defending Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, explores the legal arguments behind the recent acquittal on 17 charges of money laundering. This article outlines key legal issues, including the flawed nature of the charges and the lack of identifiable unlawful proceeds.

Self-defeating amendments to section 233 of CMA

December 13, 2024

Section 233 of the CMA is a provision often used by successive governments to stifle dissent and criticism. Since the law is already bad, what do the government amendments attempt to do, and do they make it any better? New Sin Yew lays out the confusing circular logic in section 233 and urges the government to exclude the amendments to section 233 CMA from the current bill.

The ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue: Three things to watch out for

September 5, 2024

The ASEAN Human Rights Dialogue offers opportunities for Member States to be more transparent and frank in their discussions of human rights – as the key avenue for making stronger progress through normalizing talk of human rights and addressing issues.

Business and human rights: Reimagining a new human rights-friendly Malaysia

August 19, 2024

While ESG is important, most of its measures are not couched in rights. Rights give rise to justiciable claims and empower victims and survivors to go to the courts. We need to take legal, policy, and administrative measures to incorporate human rights into our governance and laws. Human rights and environmental due diligence must be mandatory to protect vulnerable communities.

173 action items recommended for Malaysia’s National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights on governance, labour and the environment

August 15, 2024

Edmund extended his appreciation to the team of experts and everyone who contributed to the drafting of the National Baseline Assessment on Business and Human Rights in Malaysia. The report presented important recommendations: to mainstream human rights, to make human rights and environmental due diligence mandatory, and to better protect marginalised communities.

Megatrends: Geopolitics, geoeconomics, ASEAN Centrality, and human rights

August 8, 2024

Speaking on geopolitical and geoeconomic megatrends in ASEAN, Edmund Bon cautioned that, while the economic “decoupling” between the West and China may offer opportunities to ASEAN, human rights including labour rights, environmental rights, right to information, and right to self-determination need to be at the forefront of economic development in the region. Only then can we say we have achieved an ASEAN Centrality that can adequately safeguard our peoples.

Invitation to book launch, 12 June 2024, Bangkok — Business and Human Rights in Southeast Asia #2: A GuideKit to Operationalise Human Rights Due Diligence on Forced Labour

June 6, 2024

A noticeable shift is occurring in the assessment of corporate responsibility towards human rights, from voluntary initiatives and market-driven standards towards stricter regulatory requirements, including the growing utilisation of trade sanctions. With the abundance of available approaches, where should businesses even begin? Join us on 12 June 2024 (Wednesday), 4.30pm in Bangkok to find out more.

Benchmark Litigation 2024: Strong commercial understanding, excels in legal research

May 7, 2024

Benchmark Litigation ranked AmerBON as “Highly Recommended” under the category of White Collar Crime, and “Notable” under Commercial and Transactions. One client’s feedback on AmerBON’s work: “Effective client management, strong commercial understanding of business partnerships, and a brilliant comprehension of how, why, and what to seek in a commercial arrangement to advise on litigation pressure points.”