I READ with a certain degree of pride that a Malaysian is negotiating for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize winner and leader of the National League for Democracy. Tan Sri Razali Ismail, appointed as the UN special envoy to Myanmar, has been working tirelessly over the past two years to arrive at this crucial juncture in the negotiation process.
Suu Kyi was the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 and was under house arrest at that time and her two sons had to accept the award on her behalf. She was released in 1995 but was put under house arrest again. Unable to leave, she had to mourn, in Myanmar the loss of her British husband, Michael Aris, in 1999. Aris died in Britain after battling cancer for three years.
Her bravery inspired many around the world, including Razali himself. He was reported by the BBC to have described Suu Kyi as "undoubtedly one of the most impressive people he has ever met" and that "the Myanmar junta owes it to the rest of the world to allow her to realise her potential — for he is certain not only Myanmar but Asia will benefit from her political leadership".
We in Malaysia have certainly benefited from Razali's leadership. He did Malaysians proud by being appointed president of the 51st General Assembly of the United Nations in 1996.Well-known for speaking his mind, Razali was a strong advocate of the need to reform the UN Security Council because of the decision-making powers of the permanent members at the expense of the voice of the "little" guys among the developing countries.
His work is not over, and his efforts to ensure that the voice of Suu Kyi is clearly heard in her home country of Myanmar and by the world community should make all Malaysians proud.To have reached this far in the negotiation process is an accomplishment in itself, even though the chances of a positive outcome from the talks are small.
The fact that a high-profile Malaysian is heavily involved in the work of human rights is testimony that not all Malaysians have subscribed to the "Asian values" argument that Asians should care more about putting bread on our tables (not to mention cars in our garages, diamond rings on our fingers, cash in our wallets, etc). There are those who speak up against injustice.
Suu Kyi, like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi before her, represents not only a struggle for democracy and the rights of the people of Myanmar, but symbolises a greater struggle that the world community has embraced — the right to a democratic Government, elected for the people and by the people.
We thank God that someone like Razali represents the conscience of the world community in upholding this principle in his current capacity.The uniqueness of Razali only points to the need for more Malaysians of his calibre to stand up, Malaysians who are respected by the international community and well-known for their honesty, integrity and objectivity.
The current debate over the selection of Malaysian Human Rights Commission's (Suhakam) new chief should be a cause for concern for all Malaysians. There continues to be the debate over the "success" of former Suhakam chief, Tan Sri Musa Hitam.More importantly, the appointment of former Attorney-General Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman as the new chief has sparked a greater debate on his "suitability" to play that role.Examples cited from concerned groups included his alleged remarks comparing ISA detention to a stay in a hotel, the lack of any prosecution in the Bumiputera Malaysia Finance scandal, and the destruction of evidence in the Vijandran pornographic video scandal.
There have also been commendations in regards to his role in finding former IGP Abdul Rahim Noor guilty of assaulting former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the infamous "black eye" incident.Public credibility and respect are essential qualities that a Suhakam chief must possess for Malaysians to have any sort of confidence in the organisation and the values it represents.Otherwise, the contribution that Suhakam can make in promoting human rights in Malaysia will be severely circumscribed.
Which makes one wonder about the availability of suitable candidates for the post of Suhakam chief. Were possible candidates such as Tunku Abdul Aziz, a respected corporate and international figure and president of Transparency International Malaysia, or Datuk Param Cumaraswamy, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence and Impartiality of the Judiciary of the UN Commission on Human Rights, ever considered or approached? We should thank God for the likes of Razali. We should pray for more individuals like him to avail themselves for the cause of human rights in the Malaysian context.