USING THE PALACE AGAIN? Najib agrees with King's concern about DANGERS of human rights

PUTRAJAYA - MALAYSIA acknowledges there are no absolute human rights that can be accepted by all nations, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

He said while some viewed human rights based on universal values, others based them on the legal perspective as well as the situation in the country itself.

"We have to consider all aspects," he said after attending the national-level Maal Hijrah celebration at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here yesterday.

Najib said he agreed with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah, who in his Maal Hijrah address expressed concern about the dangers of upholding human rights without any boundaries.

Najib said the government considered everyone's views and stressed that its position would be based on the Constitution and the laws of the country.

"The government also takes into consideration the position of Islam in this country and the need to respect other religions," he said when asked to comment on the move by the Confederation of the Malaysian NGOs on Human Rights (Comango) to present a report to the United Nations on matters that they claimed went against the Federal Constitution.

Several Muslim groups have also urged the government to not entertain the demands made by Comango, a group of 54 non-governmental organisations, as the demands contradicted Islam.

"Whatever they demand will concern the above-mentioned factors.

"We will consider appropriate decisions on whatever demand or position they have put forward to the government," Najib said.

Among Comango's demands were the freedom to commit apostasy as a right to religious freedom by denying the jurisdiction of the Syariah Court in determining one's Islamic status.

Comango also called for the abolition of syariah criminal law, which was being enforced.

The organisation also painted a negative picture of the missionary efforts by the government on Orang Asli and demanded the government recognise the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual community and allow adultery if it was consensual.

Comango, which is preparing a report on human rights in Malaysia, also questions certain provisions in the Islamic family law, claiming that they discriminated women.

Recently, Comango came under fire over its plan to highlight human rights issues involving Malaysia to the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva.