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A Balance Between Individual Human Rights And Community Rights The Malaysian Prime Minister Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir opened the 12th Commonwealth Law Conference on 12 September 1999. He expressed his concern with the current concept of human rights which was interpreted only as the right of political dissent. 15.9.1999 | |||||||
| On 12 September 1999, the Prime Minister said that ideas about human rights were getting more peculiar as impoverishing millions of people, depriving them of medicine and killing large number of them were not considered violation of human rights. "Indeed, we are seeing the rights of the currency traders upheld while the rights of their suffering victims are ignored." We have always maintained that we should take effective steps against marauding currency speculators who have preyed on weak nations and poor people. They have infringed human rights. But then, the current economic crisis is also aggravated by inherent weaknesses in the financial architecture of Malaysia such as corruption and cronyism. The weaknesses are not as bad as those in certain countries such as Indonesia. Nevertheless, they exist. Indeed, the world human rights organizations must uphold the rights | |
of communities. On the other hand, we must not ignore individual human rights; individuals often reflect the suffering and fear of the community. According to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all persons are born free and equal in dignity and rights. The Prime Minister has the right to deal with his former Deputy Prime Minister. His actions must conform with the rule of law. While protecting the community rights, he must ensure that individual rights are not eroded. For example, Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim should not have been beaten up while under detention. Now, as he is serving a six-year sentence, he is supected of arsenic poisoning. The Government should set up a second Royal Commission of Enquiry to ge to the truth of the allegation. If it is true, from where does the arsenic come? The culprits? Appropriate actions should be taken. Dr Tan Seng Giaw | |||||
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