By Joseph Masilamany | Herald Malaysia Online
As the rights forum of Southeast Asian nations begins a three-day emergency meeting to explore ways to assist earthquake victims in Myanmar, a Malaysian politician has urged a shift in the intergovernmental agency’s policy from reaction to resilience.
The ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) started a special high-level meeting on April 8 in Penang to discuss what rights workers called the deep gaps in regional disaster preparedness.
The rights body of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations convenes as the bloc deals with the devastation caused by the March 28 quake, which has resulted in the deaths of at least 3,400 people in Myanmar and 23 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Michael Kong of Malaysia’s Democratic Action Party told UCA News that the regional forum should change its policy as the region is witnessing a changed pattern of disasters.
“Disasters were once rare in many ASEAN countries, but recent tragedies in Myanmar and Thailand show that the landscape is changing rapidly,” Kong told UCA News.
He proposed creating a “Regional Disaster Response Fund (RDRF)” to aid emergency relief, reconstruction, and long-term resilience efforts. The fund would enable quicker, more coordinated responses throughout the region.
Kong also urged strengthening the “ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance [AHA Centre]” by increasing resources and forming localised rapid-response teams.
He wanted to introduce regional building codes and urban planning standards adaptable to local contexts and regular joint climate and disaster risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities and prepare before disaster strikes.
“If ASEAN acts decisively now,” Kong said, “we can evolve from a region that reacts to crises into one that leads in resilience, foresight, and sustainable preparedness.”
The AICHR, in a statement, said the meeting aims to explore ways for a “whole-of-ASEAN response,” underscoring the need for multilateral coordination and political will to act decisively and humanely during times of crisis.
This marks the second special meeting under Malaysia’s AICHR representative Edmund Bon, whose tenure has been defined by an increasingly outspoken push for rights-based governance and regional accountability.
All ten ASEAN member states are expected to participate, along with officials from the ASEAN Secretariat and a symbolic observer delegation from Timor-Leste.
Beyond environmental rights, AICHR is also expected to intensify discussions on Malaysia’s proposed “Declaration on the Right to Peace and Development.” This framework integrates political, economic, social, and cultural rights under the unifying theme of “Inclusivity and Sustainability” — a central focus of Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship.
Rights activists say that as the region stands at a crossroads, the Penang summit may test ASEAN’s commitment to its people.
Jerald Joseph, former head of SUHAKAM, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, said AICHR “must assert its relevance by taking a firm stand on the Myanmar crisis,” both the ongoing political unrest and the fallout from the earthquake.
Despite being ASEAN’s primary human rights mechanism, AICHR “lacks real impact in recent years” and “is deeply concerning,” Joseph told UCA News.
“This is a critical moment. AICHR must show strength and take meaningful action, especially from a human rights perspective.”
Joseph said when ASEAN’s political bodies are silent, “it becomes even more vital for AICHR to speak out. Silence is not an option.
“The Myanmar crisis demands urgent and sustained attention from all arms of ASEAN, including AICHR,” Joseph said.
