This is according to Proham’s deputy president, Denison Jayasooria, who spoke to FMT yesterday on the occasion of the society’s 10th anniversary.

He said human rights work in Malaysia lacked an enabling environment, and he attributed this to a misconception that the values they promote are not in line with cultural norms.

“Most civil servants, even the top ranking, are not oriented to a rights-based approach,” he said.

“This is due to some negative political views and orientations that human rights is a Western concept and not compatible with Asian values and culture. This is old thinking.”

Pointing out that the Federal Constitution was built on human rights principles such as equality and the protection of fundamental liberties, Jayasooria said a public sector rethink and a revision of the national human rights agenda in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals were essential in advancing human rights in Malaysia.

In a statement Proham issued yesterday, it referred to restrictions to fundamental liberties in Malaysia, but it also said there was a “vibrant civil society movement” against domestic, regional and international violation of human rights.

“There are courageous Malaysians who are truly human rights defenders and defenders of marginalised groups, among whom are the undocumented, refugees, migrants, women, indigenous people, the poor and other vulnerable groups,” it said.

Jayasooria said he wanted to see stronger protection afforded to human rights defenders over the next decade.

He urged the government to provide human rights bodies with funds for research and advocacy work.

He said the federal, state and local governments could do more to engage with human rights groups over the next 10 years, adding that this could be done by setting up multi-stakeholder groups to address various areas of concern.

“In the next 10 years, I also hope Malaysian society will be able to get a proper understanding and appreciation of human rights, democracy and the separation of powers,” he said.

Jayasooria called for Malaysia’s ratification of the major human rights conventions and said all civil servants should undergo a basic introduction to human rights to be conducted by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia and the National Institute of Public Administration.