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Thank you, Ambassador.

 

His Excellency Ambassador Jan Kickert, Permanent Representative of Austria,

Distinguished Panellists,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

First and foremost, I wish to express our sincere regret that the Honourable Minister M. Kulasegaran, Executive Committee member of Parliamentarians for Global Action and current Minister of Human Resources of Malaysia, is unable to join us today due to other pressing commitments in Malaysia.  Also, our sincere regret that His Excellency Syed Mohd Hasrin Tengku Hussin, Permanent Representative of Malaysia who is also not able to be here due to overseas commitments.  

2.      Nonetheless, Malaysia is truly honoured to be co-hosting this event alongside Austria and Parliamentarians for Global Action. The subject matter is important to Malaysia especially as Malaysia embarks on this new journey after the change in Government in May last year.

 

3.      As a democratic country, Malaysia practices the separation of power between the three branches of government namely the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary.  This is enshrined in our Constitution.  For most democracies, the separation of power is essential as it allows checks and balances within the government.  The doctrine of separation of powers was put in place in order to prevent the abuse of power by any one of the branches particularly the Executive.  

 

4.      As with most democracies, the powers of the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary must be clearly distinguished in order to ensure that there is check and balance.  By this, if one were to abuse his or her power the truth can be exposed, the crime or abuse can be stopped, and those that are found guilty would be brought to justice. 

 

5.      Today, the New Government is still grappling with the after-effects of a corrupt system that had been in place over the years.  Investigations into the 1MDB financial scandal have gained the attention of the entire world and many past leaders are now facing charges in our courts to ensure that 

justice is carried out. Thus, the New Government is truly respecting the rule of law and it is being applied to all without fear or favour. 

 

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

6.      Parliaments are the national authorities that are best positioned to protect the rule of law and prevent human rights violations occurring within a country.  Their law-making functions allow them to establish national frameworks for giving effect to human rights and enact legislation to provide specific protection to certain human rights.  This allows them to ensure measures are taken to prevent human rights violations.  Another function, that is, oversight of the Executive, also means that parliamentarians are well placed to monitor the government’s performance in carrying out its own responsibilities to protect and realize human rights.

 

7.      It is because of this that in ‘New Malaysia’, parliamentarians are at the epicentre of promoting human rights and the rule of law especially in ratifying and implementing key legislation to address challenges such as impunity, discrimination against and exclusion of vulnerable groups, trafficking in persons, undue limitations to the rights to freedom of expression and assembly, among others. The Malaysian Executive branch can come up with numerous proposed legislations but ultimately it is up to our parliamentarians to decide, which shows the importance of the role they play.

 

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

 

8.      In ensuring Malaysian parliamentarians stick to the time honoured tradition of integrity and respect, our Government welcomes and supports organizations such as Parliamentarians for Global Action, which serves as a platform for parliamentarians from around the world to discuss ideas, share experiences and best practices, and find common solutions in regard matters of concern to the country. 

 

9.      Most importantly, Malaysia’s new government strives to continue to uphold the rule of law, and human rights in guaranteeing each Malaysian enjoy equal opportunity regardless of gender, race, religion and position.

 

10.    In any case, I wish to thank all of you for joining us and I look forward to our discussions today.

 

Thank you.