In a statement, Suhakam chairman Razali Ismail said the comment by the representative of the women, family and community development ministry at Malaysia’s third Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Switzerland last week was “unconvincing and misleading”.

“The inaccuracy of the ministry’s position in describing FGM (female genital mutilation) as a Malaysian culture has the potential of damaging further Malaysia’s international standing on women’s rights, especially since we were heavily criticised by committee members from Muslim countries at the 69th session of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women for allowing the harmful practice of FGM, a practice that many Muslim countries have now termed un-Islamic,” he said.

“Given the apparent absence of understanding and expertise on human rights among civil servants, Suhakam hopes that government officers will be properly trained on human rights, especially before representing the country at the Human Rights Council.”

He also urged the government to submit a mid-term report to provide an update of its efforts and commitments to human rights, adding that it was Suhakam’s duty to monitor Putrajaya’s assurances and undertakings to the international community on the matter.