chairman’s message the interests of the nation must not only comply with the provisions of the national constitution, but also universal principles and norms that the country subscribes to as a member of the international community. Having served slightly more than half of their term, the members of the Commission are now in a better position to assess the human rights situation in the country. Having travelled far and wide in the course of their work, and having first-hand experience and observation of the situation on the ground, they are of the view that – in spite of some gains that have been attained in terms of human rights – there is still a lot of room for improvement, inter alia, in freedom of peaceful assembly, of speech or expression, as well as of beliefs and worship. There is also the need for the country to ratify or accede to the remaining six of the nine core international human rights instruments, and to remove the reservations it had made to the three that have been ratified. The Commission is also of the view that the Government should begin to address more seriously and constructively the issues relating to migrant workers, refugees, asylum seekers, human trafficking victims and the like, as these are long-standing problems. Indeed, as an increasingly influential member of the international community, Malaysia should seriously consider ratifying or acceding to the relevant international instruments, as many other States have done, and do its part as a responsible member of the international community. The Commission strongly believes that education plays a vital role in the inculcation of human rights values and awareness, and that this should begin with children at an early age, both at home and in school. Parents and teachers therefore have an important role in imparting these values. By the time Malaysians reach adulthood and assume their role as responsible citizens, human rights values should have been integrated into their personalities. In this way, human rights training at the work place would largely be to reinforce embedded values that are second nature to all. At the international level, while the Commission was able to retain its ‘A’ status, specifically at the UN International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions for Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, based in Geneva, there is a continual need to ensure that its structures, systems and modus operandi remain fully compliant with the ‘Paris Principles’ that govern the performance and credibility of NHRIs. As NHRIs are subjected to a peer-evaluation process toward re-accreditation every five years, it is essential for the Commission to remain vigilant and to ensure, by its programmes and activities, that it maintains its credibility as a NHRI and that it retains its status. The issue of national peace and security and harmony in a multi-racial and multi-cultural and multi-religious country like Malaysia is of unquestionable importance. However, the time has come for us to look at these issues in the context of our times and our obligations as a member of the international community, and to effect a change in the way we deal with the issues – indeed, to effect a fundamental change in our approach – so that the mostly outdated laws can be modernised and brought in line with the practice of leading countries in the field of human rights. 4