ANNUAL REPORT 2019 Working Group Report and the reports of the visits by the Special Rapporteurs on the Sale and Sexual Exploitation of Children in the Field of Cultural Rights, and on the Human Rights to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation. SUHAKAM also submitted its own report to the Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights coinciding with his visit to Malaysia. As part of our advocacy work, SUHAKAM has always supported standing invitations to Special Procedures to come to Malaysia for the purpose of assessing and receiving recommendations on how the country can improve its record and human rights standing. SUHAKAM notes with satisfaction that, following Malaysia’s 3rd Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in 2018, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has agreed to issue a standing invitation to all Special Procedures for this very purpose. SUHAKAM has come a long way since it was first established in 1999. And there is still much work to be done. SUHAKAM will continue to advocate for the ratification of the remaining six international human rights instruments and the withdrawal of all reservations to treaties already acceded to. SUHAKAM also seeks to expand its promotional work across all sectors of society and throughout the entire country. Even so, we must take the time to recognise what the people of Malaysia and we have achieved together, not just over the past 20 years but in 2019 alone. Human rights work is a herculean task, but we have succeeded in shedding light nationally on topics that would not normally have been given much focus. The discussion on what human rights is and what it means to Malaysians is livelier than ever. SUHAKAM has worked tirelessly to improve the promotion and protection of human rights across many different areas and disciplines with a diverse array of partners. SUHAKAM is fully committed to working with the government and other stakeholders to improve the human rights situation in Malaysia. I look forward to a future where human rights are respected and practised by all Malaysians. Tan Sri Othman Hashim xiii