“Democracy and organisational development are about providing opportunities to as many people as possible and especially empowering the young, women, indigenous people and the marginalised to take part in the running of organisations.
“Once a leader has attained a ripe age of 70, as I have, it is an appropriate time to step aside for others,” he said.
Kua, a former MP, lecturer, college principal and author of several books, said it had been a privilege to be part of Suaram for the past 30 years, and to have trained many young activists through the years.
He said Suaram had maintained the independence of thought and stance, based on fundamental principles that underpin its day-to-day work such as the right to trial, right to justice and people before profits.
“From the start, Suaram has believed that the truth must be revealed through facts,” he said in a statement.
“Thus, we have put a premium on documenting and monitoring violations of human rights in Malaysia and elsewhere through meticulous checking and double-checking before releasing statements and publishing our annual human rights reports.
“Likewise, our monitoring of human rights abuses in other parts of the world are based on verified facts and not on the propaganda of the mainstream media.”
Kua said that for many years, Suaram had also stood with the people against “profiteering projects” by Barisan Nasional and in Pakatan Harapan-run states.
He said the organisation had led campaigns against the Bakun and Selangor dams and was now part of the campaign against the degazettement of the Kuala Langat North Forest Reserve and developers’ reclamation projects in Penang.
“Furthermore, Suaram is anti-imperialist. From the post-9/11 2001 US-led war in Iraq, and through the many wars launched by the US since then, Suaram has consistently engaged in anti-war campaigns,” he said.
He also said Suaram had never faltered from condemning racism and racial discrimination, from the institutional racism of the New Economic Policy to racist crimes during the May 13 incident, Kampung Medan clash and deaths in custody.
Kua said Suaram had also been at the forefront of the struggle for the right to the freedom of expression, adding that violations of this basic freedom were monitored and documented in every annual human rights report by the organisation.
He also said his statements through the years had exhibited this fundamental right of people to air their views in public and to speak the truth without fear or favour.
“I wish Suaram well and may Suaram activists continue to seek truth from facts, champion peoples’ rights before profits, oppose imperialism and racism, and continue to struggle for justice, democracy and human rights,” he said.