MEDIA RELEASE
2 November 2023
GE15 Social Media Monitoring and Launch of “Say No to Hate Speech” Portal
The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) is conducting a hate-speech monitoring project for the 15th General Election (GE15), and launching the “Say No to Hate Speech” portal for citizens as Malaysia gears up for elections.
CIJ and our partners expect hate speech and the dissemination of disinformation to intensify, especially on social media, during GE15. Similar dynamics were at play during previous elections, and when potentially destabilising events threaten those in power.
Examples include the period post-Sheraton Move, and during the COVID-19
pandemic. Politicians and other key actors often weaponise inflammatory tropes and rhetoric to control narratives and influence public understanding around issues like race, religion, royalty, gender and LGBTIQ, and refugees and migrants. They do so to advance narrow political interests that do not serve a democracy.
Hate speech, in particular, is problematic. It distracts and diverts attention from solution-focused thinking. It also further increases the potential for harm against individuals and communities at risk.
The aim of this project is to monitor the severity of hate speech and to develop collective responses to hatebased narratives prior to and during GE15, and to enable citizens to respond more effectively when they encounter hate speech online.
The project is divided into two components.
1. Monitoring Component
The monitoring component is a collaboration between CIJ and three universities, namely Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and University of Nottingham Malaysia.
The monitoring will measure the severity of hate speech around race, religion, royalty, gender and LGBTIQ, and refugee and migrants, that are amplified by political parties, politicians, government agencies, media organisations and key opinion leaders.
The severity of speech is determined by the following levels:
Level 1 – Disagreements or non-offensive language
Level 2 – Offensive or discriminatory language
Level 3 – Dehumanising or hostile language
Level 4 – Language that causes incitement or call for violence
We will be monitoring 96 social media accounts across four platforms, namely Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and TikTok. These will include accounts run by prominent parties and figures like UMNO, PKR, MUDA, DAP, former prime minister Najib Razak, current caretaker prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, and Police Diraja Malaysia
(PDRM). We will also be monitoring social media accounts belonging to the media and key opinion leaders like Berita Harian, Sin Chew Daily, The Star, Malaysiakini, HRH The Crown Prince of Johor and religious influencer Firdaus Wong. Additionally, patterns of Coordinated Inauthentic Behaviours (CIB) such as bots and cybertroopers will be monitored, too.
To find out more about our preliminary analysis from the pilot Social Media Monitoring Project we conducted from 16 August to 30 September, before Parliament was dissolved, go here.
2. Rapid Response Component
The project’s Rapid Response component involves an alert system built on our monitoring data, which identifies when a particular speech requires a response or action in a timely manner.
The Rapid Response component involves a partnership between CIJ and Pusat KOMAS, Sisters in Islam (SIS), Architects of Diversity (AOD), Beyond Borders Malaysia, Asylum Access Malaysia (AAM), Sahabat Wanita, Tenaganita, North South Initiative (NSI), and Justice for Sisters. Our partners will contribute narratives and content to counter hate speech that triggers our alert system.
Our responses and actions will vary according to severity and risk levels. On the first level of response, CIJ and partners will provide communications support such as, safety alerts, evidence-based Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), statements, media releases and social media engagement. We will help the media and the public access social media platforms’ reporting mechanisms. Additional resources will be available to provide solidarity actions and support through the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) and other services. To counter disinformation and misinformation, alerts will be channeled to fact-checking initiatives.
Launch of “Say No to Hate Speech” microsite
This microsite will make available data collected from our daily monitoring for public review and analysis. The portal will provide the media and the public with necessary resources. Additionally, anyone can report hate speech via the microsite.
For more information, contact
Name: Wathshlah Naidu
Email: exec_director@cijmalaysia.net
MEDIA RELEASE
23 April 2022
ROHINGYA SEEKING REFUGE, MET WITH DETENTION, MISTREATMENT AND DEATH
The Migrant Workers Right to Redress Coalition is appalled by the series of incidents that occurred at the Sungai Bakap Temporary Detention Centre, Kedah on 20 April 2022. 528 Rohingya refugees out of 664 detainees, as was reported, included women and children, escaped from the detention centre using “their bare hands”. Mere hours later, there have been reports that six of them—including two children—were killed in road accidents.
Since the Rohingya crisis first occurred, many of them sought asylum in Malaysia after crossing the sea—only to find cruel fate meeting them at our doors. Instead of recognising their fundamental rights as refugees and human beings, Malaysia turned its head away and treated them as undocumented immigrants who are subjected to the Immigration Act and its relevant rules, regulations and policies.
The Immigration Act does not distinguish between child, adult and vulnerable people. In fact, during a Special Chambers session in December 2021, Deputy Home Minister Jonathan Yasin revealed that up until 21 November 2021, there were 1,549 children out of 19,143 detainees in immigration detention centres, including temporary immigration detention centres, in the whole of Malaysia.
As a result, the Rohingya are arrested, detained and placed in immigration centres without being able to secure their fundamental liberties. This was made worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2018 to 15 February 2021, there have been a total of 208 deaths in custody at immigration detention centres in Malaysia. The cause of death is mostly related to health complications, including the contraction of the COVID-19 virus.
It was reported that the detainees were protesting the authorities’ denial of medication for one of the detainees’ illness who subsequently passed on. There have been reports in the past of poor and unhygienic conditions in such detention centres, it is evident that there has not been much effective measures taken in this direction. These living, breathing human beings have been suffering from lack of medical attention, standard operating procedures and adequate facilities to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus throughout the pandemic.
There have been reports of gross violations of fundamental rights besides denial of medical care, ranging from denial of right to inform a relative or friend of whereabouts and right to counsel, with little access to the outside world. They also face overcrowding due to the long delays in executing deportation orders.
The Migrant Workers Right to Redress Coalition demands accountability from all authorities responsible in the Sungai Bakap incident, and for the death of all those in custody. Malaysia must present itself as more than a mere seat warmer at the UN Human Rights Council and uphold its international obligations under CEDAW and CRC. The Government must bear the full weight of this tragedy and seek justice for those who have lost their lives fighting for a chance of survival in Malaysia.
The Migrant Workers Right To Redress Coalition strongly call for:
- An independent inquiry into the cause of the Sungai Bakap riot, breakout and death, where the facts are publicly available;
- An independent inquiry into the number and composition of Rohingya men, women and children detained in immigration depots in Malaysia, including the grounds of their arrests;
- Accountability for the mistreatment and death of Rohingya in custody;
- Allow SUHAKAM and UNHCR access to all immigration detention centres to monitor the living conditions and obtain data of the detainees, especially that of the remaining detainees at the Sungai Bakap Detention Centre.
- The inclusion of Rohingya children in the Government’s Alternatives to Detention (ATD) for Children pilot project that officially started in February 2022;
- Better policies to be institutionalised for Refugees and Asylum Seekers
*Migrant Workers Right to Redress Coalition is a coalition of NGOS and other stakeholders that lobbies for a comprehensive policy on labour migration in Malaysia.
Organisations: Family Frontiers, WAO, Asylum Access Malaysia, Penang Stop Human Trafficking Campaign, NSI, PSWS, Tenaganita, and PSM.
MEDIA RELEASE
2022
If Serious About Forced Labour, New Government Must Remove Discriminatory Provisions to Protect Domestic Employees
We welcome the amendments to the Employment Act 1955, which now includes a section on Forced Labour. But it’s also ironic because the failure to omit a number of sections from the First Schedule of the Employment Act discriminates against domestic employees and keeps them in slave-like conditions. These sections outrightly state that domestic employees are exempted from the hours of work, overtime
compensation, weekly rest day, maternity leave, annual leave, paid sick leave to name a few. And as such, it allows for systemic abuse against domestic employees, who can now be subjected to long working hours, get no weekly rest day or overtime pay, and will have no maternity, lay off or termination benefits.
This means that Malaysian law deliberately pushes domestic workers to conditions of forced labour despite having ratified the International Labour Organisation’s Forced Labour Convention. Therefore, we at Ke Arah 189, urge the current Human Resources Minister, V Sivakumar, to immediately remove these conditions which are prejudice against domestic employees, who are almost all women. We would also like to draw the minister’s attention to the fact that this is in violation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, which the Malaysian government has ratified.
Failure to remove these discriminatory clauses could only mean that the newly-minted government doesn’t care enough about women workers who end up being subjected to violence because of the precarious nature of their work. And it would also signal the lack of political will by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration.
Thank You.
Yours Faithfully,
Irene Xavier
On behalf of Kearah189 Coalition
MEDIA RELEASE
30 October 2019
Government must address restrictions to civic freedoms of migrants and refugees
A new report by CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance and Solidarity Centre has found that migrant and refugees in Malaysia continue to face various barriers and restrictions in exercising their civic freedoms including their freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association.
The report “Freedoms on the move: The Civic Space of Migrant of refugees” which covers five countries including Malaysia highlights that many migrant workers and refugees want to access their civic freedoms. They want to participate in the societies they call home and do not want to remain on the margins. They want to have a say in their communities and their workplaces, and on the decisions that affect their lives.
“For migrant workers and refugees, these freedoms offer protection against discrimination, marginalisation and scapegoating, which commonly affect them in their host or destination countries. When the rights to association, peaceful assembly and expression are open to migrant workers and refugees, they can organize and act to uphold their interests in their workplaces and communities and influence public opinion,” said Josef Benedict, researcher for CIVICUS.
Research on the civic space of migrants in Malaysia was undertaken with North South Initiative together with migrant movements SERANTAU, PNCC and AMMPO while Geutanyoe Foundation led on the research on refugees.
The findings show that many migrant workers and refugees do not feel confident to criticize or call on the authorities to meet their needs. When they do speak up, they often feel that they are ignored, and that the government rarely listens to them. Migrant workers and refugees say that among the challenges they face in speaking out include language barriers, a lack of access to information fear of being fired, detained or deported and harassment or intimidation. The main perpetrators of violations of the right to freedom of expression for migrant workers are employers and business owners while for refugees are the police and other state agents.
The right to protest also continues to be challenging as the right to assemble in the 2012 Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) does not extend to foreigners including migrant workers and refugees which is in contravention of international human rights law and standards. Many said that they do not feel safe to protest in the streets and believe if they take part in protests they could be fired from their job, removed from their workplace, perhaps without payment for work already done detained or deported.
“Human rights especially the right to peacefully assemble must not stop at the border. The Malaysian government must immediately review the Peaceful Assembly Act and other laws that deny refugees and migrants their civic freedoms especially the right to participate in peaceful meetings, protests, strikes, sit-ins, and demonstrations,” said Lilianne Fan the International Director and Co-Founder of the Geutanyoe Foundation.
Refugee and migrant workers also face various restrictions in exercising their freedom of association. While some migrant workers have formed informal organisations to support themselves many do not feel safe or confident to do this as the law prohibits the operation of unregistered groups. Migrant workers also say intimidation and pressure from their employers is the main reason why they have not organised and migrant workers say they are often coerced by agents or their employers not to join unions.
“The freedom of association is recognised as one of the most fundamental human rights, within society at large, and in communities and workplaces. The Malaysian authorities must respect and protect this right. Trade unions and diplomatic missions must also support the participation and engagement of migrant workers and refugees in unions and associations, said Adrian Pereira the director of North South Initiative (NSI).
International human rights law does not limit civil and political rights to citizens. Like everyone else, migrant workers and refuges should be able to enjoy the key civic freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression. These are important freedoms in themselves, because they enable people to be full members of their societies, allowing them to have a say in the decisions that affect their lives. They also safeguard access to other rights.
Access to civic rights is particularly crucial given that most migrant workers and refugees are usually denied the right to vote in the countries in which they live, as well as in the countries they have left behind, and are therefore excluded from a crucial opportunity to influence decision-makers on issues that directly affect their lives.
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For further information or interviews please contact:
Josef Benedict, CIVICUS Reseacher at josef.benedict@civicus.org or 010-43766376
Lilianne Fan, the International Director and Co-Founder of the Geutanyoe Foundation at lilianne.fan@gmail.com
Adrian Pereira, Director of North South Initiative (NSI) at liberationx@gmail.com
MEDIA RELEASE
15 March 2019
Government must release findings of Independent Committee on Foreign Workers
The Government must publish the findings of the Independent Committee on Foreign Workers and allow respective communities to discuss and debate its findings before any further major policy changes are made to the current rules, according to the Right to Redress Coalition (R2R).
“We understand that the report was completed in January and subsequently submitted to the Human Resources Minister, yet we still have no information on what they recommended or what the Government’s response has been to its recommendations”, said R2R spokesperson Adrian Pereira.
There were a series of town hall meetings across the nation, in addition to various stakeholder meetings, including CSOs, community leaders, expatriates, migrant and domestic workers, refugees and asylum seekers, foreign spouses, gave their feedback to the Independent Committee on Foreign workers.
Pereira said that this Government had an obligation to be transparent in policy process, and that there are tens of thousands of migrant workers in a precarious situation that would benefit from greater clarity.
“It certainly seems like major policy changes are proceeding. On 31 March the outsourcing firms that recruit and manage migrant workers will be abolished. We are expecting reforms to the Employment Act will soon be tabled by the Government.”
“Migrant worker communities – along with the citizens of Malaysia – deserve some clarity with regard to the recommendations of the Independent Committee, and whether the Government is taking those recommendations into account when it creates policy.”
Pereira said that all too often migration is a political game, but the reality for many migrant workers is one of exploitation and suffering.
“No migrant worker comes to Malaysia planning to break the law; they come looking for a better way of life. Greater transparency is required to ensure that migrant workers and businesses alike can plan for their financial futures.”
“Without a transparent rule-making process in which stakeholders voices are heard, the scale of exploitation in this country cannot be addressed.” In the interest of transparency and good governence, it is only right that the recommendations of the Independent Committee on Foreign Workers be released.
– Ends-
For further comment, contact:
Adrian Periera, R2R spokesperson,
MEDIA RELEASE
22 October 2017
The tragedy of the Hillside Collapse in Penang
The hillside collapse which has claimed the lives of at least one Malaysian, possibly eleven migrant workers and at least one refugee at Tanjung Bungah, Penang is sadly not much of a surprise. Local people and groups had been warning the state government and Penang city council about the consequences of indiscriminate hill-cutting, and about this particular area, for some time. Sadly, as is the case across the nation, the developers seem to remain unchecked, pursuing their profits at the
expense of humans and environment alike. Increased flooding, landslides, and more – the on-going destruction of our environment and the consequences are plain for all to see. But we do not want to learn, we value profits before environment, and so we suffer the consequences.
But this is all much more than an environmental disaster. This latest incident, like incidents before this, has claimed the lives of innocent workers who were just trying to do their job. One Malaysian has lost his life in terrible circumstances. The others who died are not from Malaysia. It is a fact that the majority of the workers in the construction industry are migrants or refugees. As we know, many are working in situations of debt bondage, in working conditions which are not monitored and which break labour laws on so many levels, where health and safety is put to one
side, where their housing is over-crowded shacks without any proper sanitation or standards, and where insurance and compensation may or not be protecting the worker in case of mishap. In other words, many are working in conditions which can be described as modern day slavery.
In this latest tragedy, let us hope that the full circumstances of the employment of the migrant workers and refugees who have given their lives so tragically are investigated and made public. We need to know the details of all and any companies, contractors and/or sub-contractors responsible for the employment of the migrant workers and any refugees at this site. We need to know the terms and conditions of such employment – are the workers all documented, are they fully protected and insured, or are they undocumented and working without protection or insurance? We
need to know the full details of all health and safety precautions taken to protect the workers at this site.
And we need to know the full details of how much compensation is being paid to the respective families of the workers and how that has been delivered. What is the amount of the compensation paid to each family? Assuming that some compensation is being paid (which may or may not be a good assumption), is this adequate? Do we need to review the statutory provisions and statutory amounts paid in tragic circumstances like this one? How do we ‘value’ lives?
We call upon the authorities and any official enquiry to address these issues. For the issues are systemic to the construction industry; this is not a ‘one-off’ exception and should not be treated as such. It is testament to the way the industry approaches their environmental responsibilities, and it should be made testament to the way they treat their workforce. Who are they employing and on what terms and conditions are they employing them? How can we continue to allow an industry to continue to show such scant respect to human beings and to our environment? Why has for so long
nothing been done about it? Are they so powerful? Are we really so happy to watch Malaysians, migrant workers and refugees being sacrificed to our altar of ‘development’, and our environment come tumbling down in the name of ‘progress’ (read ‘profit’)? When will those in positions of authority say ‘enough’ and do something?
The Migrant Workers Right to Redress Coalition
The Migrant Workers Right to Redress Coalition has recently launched a Report titled ‘Towards a Comprehensive National Policy for Labour Migration in Malaysia’. This report brings together the experience of migrant workers and other stakeholders including government ministries, agencies and employers, and makes positive recommendations relating to many of the issues affecting migrant workers in this country. Please contact us for a copy