Kashgari Case: A Blot on Malaysia's Human Rights Record

Malaysia violated the human rights of Saudi Arabian columnist Hamza Kashgari by deporting him back to his country, where he will almost certainly be persecuted.

The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) in a statement said today that in deporting Kashgari, the government has violated international human rights law, especially Articles 3, 10 and 11 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), of which Malaysia is a signatory.

This treaty makes it incumbent for governments to guarantee the right to life, liberty and security; that everyone is entitled to a fair trial and presumed innocent until proven guilty.

“Kashgari, whose case has attracted international media headlines, has been denied these rights,” said Suhakam vice-chairperson Khaw Lake Tee, adding that the action would result in severe negative impact on the country.

It is a shame Minister Hishammuddin Hussein had denied there was a court order obtained to stop the extradition of Hamza Kashgari.

Now his government wants to challenge the habeas corpus application filed by Saudi Arabian columnist, Hamza Kashgari Mohamad Najeeb, who is alleged to have insulted Islam and Prophet Muhammad.

It is a shame the home minister had decided to give a false statement especially its denial over the existence of a court order to stop the deportation of Kashgari. If the government is serious about improving Malaysia's democratic credentials, it should have acted fairly and reasonably and handle the Kashgari case responsibly by respecting his democratic and individual rights. 

Now, Malaysia has to live with a very unfavourable worldwide reviews of its unscrupulous action. If there's any credibility left, Minister Hishammuddin should apologize to Kashgari's family and tender his resignation over his insensitivity and unprofessionalism.

However, this is what we do not expect him to do. We have to live with the outcome of having mediocre people running this country.