Appointed to the post at the beginning of last month, Hishamudin told FMT he hopes Malaysia will ratify the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) and the 1951 Refugee Convention during his term of office.
ICERD obliges parties to eliminate racial discrimination in all forms, including in public institutions and government policies.
The 1951 Refugee Convention, meanwhile, grants rights and protection to those fleeing persecution in their home country.
The retired Court of Appeal judge also said he hopes to instil in Malaysians a greater awareness of human rights. He also wants the government to make human rights one of its top priorities.
“There must also be greater understanding about human rights by the government agencies, and human rights-friendly policies,” he said.
Hishamudin said every society is obliged to uphold human rights.
“Only through such awareness can people whose rights have been violated know that they can submit complaints to Suhakam.
“(This will) enable us to undertake the relevant investigations and submit relevant recommendations to the government or related bodies,” he said.
Hishamudin also hopes to oversee Malaysia’s participation in several other core international human rights conventions, including the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Convention on Social Economic and Cultural Rights.
In November 2018, the Pakatan Harapan government backtracked on a commitment to ratify ICERD. The decision was made following weeks of protests led by groups that claimed doing so would undermine the special position of the Malays and natives, including in respect of racial quotas in public institutions.
The protestors had opposed ICERD’s timeline for member countries to end affirmative action programmes and benefits, which they said would spell the end of Malaysia’s decades-old pro-Bumiputera policy.
Malaysia has also not signed on to the 1951 Refugee Convention as Putrajaya treats refugees and asylum seekers as undocumented or illegal migrants under the Immigration Act 1959/1963.
The cornerstone of the convention is the principle of non-refoulement, under which refugees should not be returned to a country where they face serious threats to their life or freedom. Other rights contained in the convention cover housing, decent work and education.
Hishamudin said Suhakam has been advocating policies which will allow children of refugees and stateless children access to education.
He said the commission will continue to push for legislative changes and reforms to the land rights of indigenous peoples, the prisons system and the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008.
Suhakam will also engage actively with government bodies and civil service organisations (CSOs) – especially those located outside the Klang Valley – to raise human rights awareness, including on the availability of remedies and access to justice.
Hishamudin also expressed confidence that amendments to the Suhakam Act, which came into force last month, would boost the commission’s role and capabilities.
“As a commission, we aspire to ensure that violations of human rights will be voiced out and resolved. We also hope to improve the public’s perception of Suhakam,” he said.
“With our mandate being strengthened, we will endeavour to ensure Suhakam’s independence as an effective check and balance on the government as well as to become the bridge for the public, NGOs and CSOs.”