chairman’s message Khaw Lake Tee — as well as to Professor Datuk Dr Mahmood Zuhdi Haji Abdul Majid, Mr James Nayagam, Mr Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah, Mr Detta Samen and Mrs Jannie Lasimbang, who have taken time out of their busy schedules to ensure the effective operation of the Commission. I would also like to express my appreciation and gratitude to all staff members of the Commission, headed by the Secretary, Mrs Hashimah Nik Jaafar, for their important and indispensable supportive role in the fulfilment of the Commission’s mandate in promoting, protecting and monitoring human rights, and in the preparation and production of this Report. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate our call to the Government, particularly the relevant agencies, to extend their fullest cooperation and support in considering the Commission’s recommendations made over the years that have not been fully implemented. This is important in enhancing the nation’s human rights performance, thereby promoting the prestige and credibility of Malaysia — this is considerable in terms of national development and other areas, but lags in the realm of human rights. We need to live up to our commitments to international human rights principles and norms that are enshrined in the UDHR. Lastly, it is vitally important to ensure the independence of the Commission so as to enable it to perform its functions as effectively as possible, without fear or favour, cognizant of the fact that its success in carrying out its mandate as a national human rights institution would also accrue to the Government and the nation as a whole. In this regard the Commission is addressing the issue of its revitalisation and will present in due course a number of proposals involving the possibilty of effecting further changes and improvements to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999 so that, while the Commission is uniquely Malaysian, its scope of work and operations will be on par with some of the best and most effective national human rights institutions in the world. In submitting this Annual Report to Parliament, I also recommend it to the people of Malaysia for their understanding of the human rights situation in the hope that, as citizens, they too – individually and collectively – can contribute to its promotion and propagation. TAN SRI HASMY AGAM Chairman Human Rights Commission of Malaysia 5