Human Rights

by drrafick

• Human Rights? A catchy and trend setting phrase that seems to be a global phenomenon. How many actually knows what it means? One person I met at Changi Airport today says that it is the right to be a human!. I just laugh. Reality is many have poor understanding of the phrase and many say that it is the same across the 7 continents among all countries.

• The theory and practical application of Human Rights (HR) are two different issues that need analysis beyond the writing of this blog. However I strongly believe that there is no such thing of being equal in every society. Can anyone name a country that has a flawless human rights policy? Is America, Singapore, Thailand or England has a fantastic HR records? I say there isn’t any because the world is not a perfect place. There are many shortcomings in every society. If one can accept the need to have handicapped in golf, similarly it must be appreciated that in every society such handicapped need to be accorded to the less fortunate.

• I can’t exactly give much comment on what Rahim Noor, the disgraced ex IGP said without listening to the whole transcript. From what I have read, whether we like it or not, there are some truth in what he said. There is indeed a strong and growing HR wave in this country currently. It is not only in Malaysia but also in many countries across the continent. If left unchecked, practices that does not conform to the socio-cultural make up of the Malaysian society may actually destroy the country. One cannot bring HR practices of the US or the UK and planted them here without thinking. It will not work. It is like America planting democracy in Iraq or Libya. We can see the mess it caused. It may be collateral damage to some but when it happens to your love ones, it is never acceptable.

• To me it is nothing more than a phase in society development. There was a time where communism was popular and slowly they all disappeared worldwide. Even China today do not practice true communism anymore. It is a phase that we need accept and manage accordingly. Who knows somewhere 50 years down the road in this condensed world of 7 billion, the people in a crowded country may say that they have rights to live and work in any other country in the world. It will be his right as a human being and being the son of Adam.

• What ever we do on this matter, we must ensure that foreign powers do not use HR issues as a basis of indirect colonization of the people, as a basis of trade negotiation or for the purpose of invasion.We, the children of our nation must chart the direction of this country taking into account what is minted in the constitution and the socio economic makeup of the people. We must learn to give it time and address it at a speed that brings comfort to everyone and do not fall into trap blindly that brings us all down. Once we are down, climbing back up is never easy.