Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to encourage respect for fundamental freedoms in Malaysia.

Through Ministerial contacts, and through our High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, we continue to raise issues of fundamental freedoms at the highest level with the Malaysian authorities. This was a central theme of Baroness Warsi’s visit to Malaysia in April. As well as raising the issue with Malaysian Ministers, she gave a speech on freedom of religion and belief. In September and at Malaysia’s request, a UK expert on hate crimes visited the country to share experience of developing and implementing legislation and wider best practise with counterparts. Our High Commission is also working with the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) to develop a business and human rights action plan building on the UK model.

We also raise fundamental freedoms through multilateral mechanisms including via the EU and the UN. This includes the UK’s contribution in October last year to the Universal Periodic Review of Malaysia, taken forward under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Council.