Report, March 2024
In October 2023, the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), with support from the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief (IPPFoRB), undertook a fact-finding mission to Malaysia to assess the current state of religious harmony and social cohesion in the country, particularly during and after the general election in 2022 and state elections in 2023.
The delegation consisted of three parliamentarians from Southeast Asia, namely Hon. Maria Terezinha da Silva Viegas (MP, Timor Leste), Hon. Mohamed Irshad (former MP, Singapore), and Hon. Amilbahar Mawallil (MP, Bangsamoro, the Philippines). Across three days, the delegation met with civil society organizations (CSOs), faith leaders, Parliamentarians, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Communication and Digital, the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission, the Election Commission, and the National Human Rights Commission of Malaysia.
While seeking to deepen its understanding of emerging developments and challenges in Malaysia’s FoRB landscape, the fact-finding mission also constituted a crucial platform for sharing and learning of country experiences to improve regional realization of this fundamental freedom.
