SUHAKAM was established by Parliament under the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999 (Act 597). The Act was gazzetted on 9th September 1999. The inaugural meeting of SUHAKAM was held on 24th April 2000. For information on the history of SUHAKAM, Click Here.
What are SUHAKAM's functions?
The main functions of SUHAKAM are:
to promote awareness of and provide education relating to human rights;
to advise and assist Government in formulating legislation and procedures and recommend the necessary measures to be taken;
to recommend to the Government with regard to subscription or accession of treaties and other international instruments in the field of human rights;
to inquire into complaints regarding infringements of human rights.
What are human rights?
Human rights are the inalienable rights and freedom that every person is entitled to by virtue of being human. These rights ensure the dignity and worth of the human person are universal,indivisible and interdependent.
At the foundation of all human rights is the basic understanding that every individual has dignity.
The United Nations have written down all the rights that everyone must have in the United Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) to ensure that human dignity is protected and respected.
What is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)?
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a document that provides an overview of the principle rights and freedoms that are every person's birthright. The 30 Articles document promotes respect of a whole array of human rights ranging from civil and political rights to economic, social and cultural rights.
The UDHR was adopted and proclaimed by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 10, 1948.
It is said that rights and responsibilities are linked, what does this mean? Rights are of course to be exercised with responsibility.This means that:
Right are exercised in such a manner that they do not infringe on the rights of others;
The state has a responsibility to take steps to ensure that its citizen are able to enjoy their human rights;
The citizen has a right and a responsibility to lodge a complaint against any human right violation.
Do children have rights?
Yes, and children have special needs because they need adults to look after them. In the interest of the children, the United Nations created an international human rights treaty for young people called the 'Convention On The Rights Of The Child or CRC. This special human rights convention for children was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1989.
What are the rights of the child?
Generally, all children have four main rights, including:
Survival rights:
All children have the right to live.Adults must take care of children so that they can live healthily and grow.
Protection rights:
Children must be protected from any acts of violence, abuse, exploitation and discrimination, as well as all forms of terrorism and hostage-taking..
Development rights:
Children have the right to education and self-development. All children must have access to and complete primary education that is free, compulsory and of good quality as a cornerstone of an inclusive basic education.
Participation rights:
All children have the right to meet other children and make new friends. Children can join associations and talk with each other freely. They have the right to express themselves and to participate in all matters affecting them, in accordance with their age and maturity.
Why children need to know about their rights?
Children need to know about human rights so they would uphold their rights as well as the rights of others. Society at large will be more caring and the world will be a nicer place if we are able to uphold each others dignity.
