The report highlighted Malaysia’s 'narrow conception of human rights' referring to Putrajaya’s refusal to attest all eight of the human rights treaties derived from the Universal Declaration of Human. — AFP pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 — A global report issued this week singled out Malaysia, along with countries facing social unrest and political turmoil in eastern Africa and the Middle East, for trampling on the rights of non-religious sections of society.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union’s (IHEU) latest edition of the Freedom of Thought Report 2014 gave Malaysia a“grave violation” rating, specifically citing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s speech in Kuantan on May 14 in which he branded “humanism and secularism as well as liberalism” as “deviant”.

Najib went on to describe these elements as a threat to Islam and the country at a national-level Quran Recital Assembly, the report added.

“This country is found to be declining due to alienating rhetoric against “atheists” and “humanists” voiced in 2014 by the prime minister, as well as ongoing legal disputes over the freedoms of religious minorities contributing to interreligious tension,” stated the report

Although a degree of religious freedom is granted to non-Muslim religious minorities including Christians, Buddhists and Hindus, the report pointed out that Malaysia is far behind in terms of for freedom of thought and expression specifically due to the control exerted on the majority Malay Muslim community.

“Ethnic Malay (are) subjected to strict state controls over an enforced, homogenous religious identity, including mandatory Sharia laws and localised death penalties on the books for “apostasy”,” it noted.

The report also highlighted the country’s “narrow conception of human rights” referring to Putrajaya’s refusal to attest all eight of the human rights treaties derived from the Universal Declaration of Human (UDHR) apart from just two — in which the government has also placed caveats by insisting on constitutional exemptions — “rendering its signature to the UDHR essentially an empty gesture”.

While the Federal Constitution protects freedom of religion or belief and the freedom of expression, it is restricted by Shariah laws and policies in a bid to protect Islam as the religion of the federation including Putrajaya's ban on the use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims, it said.

Brunei, which had recently legislated hudud, and Indonesia, for its suppression of religious minorities and harassment by its religious police, were also rebuked and given the grave violation rating”.

The “grave violation” rating signified the most severe conditions out of five classifications. The four others are: free and equal; mostly satisfactory; systemic discrimination; and, severe discrimination.

The report’s benchmarks are derived from five scopes, namely education; general systemic issues; freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief, establishment of religion; family, community, religious courts and tribunals; and expression, advocacy of humanist values.