Executive Summary
The Division commenced work on the development of a framework for a National Plan of Action
for Business and Human Rights in July 2014, and had since organised a round-table discussion
(RTD) with plans to conduct interviews with relevant stakeholders as part of the consultation
process the following year. The project, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO),
is expected to be completed by March 2015.
The International Coordination Division assisted the Commission in its work at the international
and regional levels by participating in activities and meetings organised by the UN International
Coordinating Committee of NHRIs for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (ICC) and
the Human Rights Council (HRC). This was in addition to the Commission’s chairmanships of
the Commonwealth Forum of NHRIs (CFNHRI) and the Southeast Asia NHRIs Forum (SEANF)
and membership to the Asia Pacific Forum (APF) of NHRIs.
The Commission concluded its tenure as a member of the ICC Bureau in 2014 after serving two
terms for a period of five years. The Commission, as an “A status” accredited NHRI, is allowed
formal participation at the United Nations (UN) HRC.
REPORT OF THE SABAH OFFICE
As at the end of 2014, a total of 279 complaints were received by the Commission’s Sabah Office
located in Kota Kinabalu. Land matters, citizenship issues and problems with birth certificates
were the predominating subjects of complaints lodged with the Sabah Office. The Sabah Office
assisted in the Commission’s thematic research on ‘Right to Health in Prison’ and ‘Death in
Police Custody’, as well as in the Commission’s programmes on HIV/AIDS and UPR. It also
conducted visits to places of detention including prisons, immigration detention centres and
police lock-ups to monitor the conditions at these facilities and hold training sessions with
enforcement agencies.
REPORT OF THE SARAWAK OFFICE
During the year under review, the Sarawak Office received 29 complaints of which seven were
related to matters concerning native customary rights to land. The Sarawak Office also held talks
on human rights for the socially vulnerable and conducted visits to detention centres, homes
for the aged, children’s institutions and community-based rehabilitation centres. Courtesy calls
to various Government agencies were also conducted to further enhance working relationships
between the parties concerned.
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