SUHAKAM urged to conduct human rights awareness training to police and enforcement agencies - Teresa Kok

I read the suggestion made by the Federal internal security and public order director Hazani Ghazali to whip undocumented migrants who have been caught repeatedly entering the country with great trepidation.

I wonder whether his suggestion of whipping will also extend include the sly enforcement officers who have failed in their duties in preventing illegal migrants from entering into Malaysia and also the civil servants who aided and abetted the smuggling of unlawful migrants.

Section 6(3) of the Immigration Act states that the penalty for illegal entry is a fine not exceeding RM10,000, or imprisonment for up to five years, and offenders are also liable to whipping of not more than six strokes.

Senior civil servants and police officers are fully reminded that whipping is seen as a barbaric act, which demeans human dignity internationally.

Many illegal migrants who sneak into Malaysia are the poor from our neighbouring countries seeking employment here. Such a callous suggestion will only harm relations with our neighbours.

Hazani Ghazali is reminded that there are some poor Malaysians seeking employment have over-stayed in foreign countries too. How would he feel if whipping is imposed on our poor Malaysians abroad?

It is because of such recklessness that i urge SUHAKAM to conduct human rights concept training courses to officers of our enforcement agencies, including the police, immigration to adhere to the international human rights norms and standards, while performing their duties. And to refrain from making petty statements - such as imposing such barbaric and archaic acts.

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* Teresa Kok is a Member of Parliament (MP) of Seputeh.

** The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of Astro AWANI.