Malaysia must speak up more on Uyghur's cause, says expert
15 Nov 2022 04:36pm
AFP pic
Founding Director of Bait Al Amanah Abdul Razak Ahmad Malaysia's credibility as a trusted partner in foreign relations particularly among the global Muslim community is at stake and the country must demonstrate its independence on such issues.
“Malaysia needs to reclaim its position as a trusted partner by other Islamic countries. Malaysia must uphold its commitment to be the voice for the marginalised and oppressed Muslim minorities.
“This undertaking must not be confused with a fulminate against the Chinese administration. Malaysia has a responsibility in upholding human security concerns befitting its role as a progressive Muslim country,” he told Sinar Daily.
“As a result of the Chinese extensive lobbying and diplomatic engagement, Malaysia has taken a careful stance so as not to offend China,” he said.
Moving forward, Razak said Malaysia must have a defined foreign policy strategy on issues affecting human rights as it cannot afford to ignore the importance of human rights as part of its fundamental foreign policy strategy.
“Malaysia should have voted yes. There are legitimate concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang and no country should be immune from a discussion at the United Nations,” he said.
He added that Malaysia has to play a delicate balancing act on the issue with the "abstention" reflecting the country’s attempt to reflect a balance its position, considering its close economic and diplomatic ties with China against voicing the concerns of the country’s Muslim community on China’s treatment of the Uyghurs.
The United States and allies had brought a draft decision targeting China to the UN’s top rights body, seeking as a bare minimum a discussion on Xinjiang in late September.
The move came after former UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet released her long-delayed Xinjiang report, citing possible crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the far-western region.
International Service for Human Rights executive director Phil Lynch said it was “shameful” that “Muslim countries... have overwhelmingly failed to even support a UN discussion on rights abuses against Uyghurs.”
