CHAPTER 1 towards the Commission’s repeated requests to the State Government to have a discussion on the issue. The Commission reiterates its recommendations in the NI report for the authorities to adopt a Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) to development and to use the FPIC principle when obtaining consent from the Orang Asli on any activities that would affect the community. The Commission also reminds the Government that it is entrusted to achieve the United Nations 17 SDGs, which include managing forests sustainably. In this regard, the Commission calls upon the KSFD and the Department of Environment (DOE) to thoroughly and fairly study or investigate the connection between the licensed logging activities and the deforestation and environmental pollution in Gua Musang as claimed by the Orang Asli. While the Orang Asli issue in Kelantan was in the limelight during the year, the Commission also notes with concern that similar complaints of encroachment into Orang Asli native customary lands had also been received from Orang Asli in Pahang, Perak and Johor. The Commission is seeking meetings with the respective State Governments to resolve the complaints. (d) Discrimination During the year, the Commission received eight complaints of discrimination on the basis of disability, race, and gender. One of the complaints that the Commission received, from a visually impaired complainant, alleged that a financial service provider (FSP) practises a discriminatory policy towards visually impaired persons by way of imposing additional conditions such as the requirement for the presence of another person in order to receive and/or activate Automated Teller Machine (ATM)/credit cards, and the requirement to operate savings/current accounts jointly with another person. The Commission met with BNM on 14 March to discuss the issue and BNM conceded that certain FSPs imposed additional requirements to visually impaired persons to protect themselves as well as the disabled from any risks. BNM, however, informed the Commission that they take the educational approach instead of the regulatory approach in ensuring that the services provided by FSPs are disabled friendly. As such, BNM has been actively organising trainings to employees of FSPs to enlighten them on the CRPD. Additionally, BNM informed the Commission of the two strategies incorporated in the National Disability Action Plan 2016-2022 aimed at increasing accessibility to financial services for the disabled by ensuring that banking services such as ATMs and savings account services are disabled friendly, and that disabled people are provided with insurance protection which is fair and similar to protection provided to the non-disabled. With regard to this matter, the Commission calls on all FSPs to ensure that the same financial services are offered to visually impaired persons as those offered to any other person, without discrimination. It is also part of corporate 56 SUHAKAM ANNUAL REPORT 2016 suhakam 2new.indd 56 3/23/17 5:54 PM

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