The statement was delivered by Humanists International’s Senior Advocacy Officer, Leon Langdon, at the General Debate under Item 4 of the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council. Item 4 focuses on issues of general human rights concern and sees states and civil society alike raise a plethora of issues.
The organizations highlighted the stated commitments of Malaysia as per its Constitution, namely Article 11’s commitment to freedom of religion or belief. However, religious minorities and the non-religious face discrimination in law and in practice, such as bans on apostasy from Islam, social stigmatization, and recent state level laws which threaten to jail Muslim men who skip Friday prayers. Article 11, the statement said, “equates doubt, with deviance.”
Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) guarantees the right to freedom of religion or belief and related documents, like General Comment no. 22 have stressed that the ICCPR applies equally to non-theistic belief, including atheism and humanism. Malaysia, however, is one of just 14 UN Member States which have neither signed nor ratified the ICCPR.
Humanists Malaysia were ratified as a Member Organization of Humanists International at the General Assembly in Singapore in September 2024. Since then, they have organized the first ASEAN Freedom of Thought, Conscience & Belief Forum. This statement also follows a long history of Humanists International’s engagement on Malaysia. Malaysia declined to reply to the statement during the ‘right of reply’ section.
The statement concluded by imploring Malaysia to adopt the ICCPR without reservation, to harmonize Article 11 with international standards, and to take steps to protect religious and belief minorities.
Featured photo by Thilipen Rave Kumar on Pexels.
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