We were honoured to meet and hold a dialogue session with 21 leaders of Sarawak …

We were honoured to meet and hold a dialogue session with 21 leaders of Sarawak Islamic NGO leaders recently.

The session called “Temu Minda” (meeting of minds) demonstrated #CENTHRA’s strong commitment to continuously engage with Islamic NGOs as important stakeholders in our work particularly related to the UPR mechanism. The session was part of our initiative in the preparation of the draft for the Malaysia #UPR3 mid-term report this year, as well as obtaining responses for Malaysia’s #UPR4 Stakeholders’ Report.

Among the main objectives of the session were:

Strengthening the Sarawak Islamic NGOs voice and role in human rights advocacy;

Sharing experiences between CENTHRA and Sarawak Islamic NGOs on theory and good practices on UPR mid-term review reporting;

Continuing the conversations and exchanges between CENTHRA and Islamic NGOs on how to ensure common understanding of the needs identified to strengthen the capacity building activities on the UPR.

Our counterparts in Sarawak have come out strongly on highlighting important human rights issues that should be considered and included in the mid-term review and the #UPR4 Stakeholders’ Report. The session has helped CENTHRA significantly not only for the mid-term review report preparations, but more importantly in identifying and recognising grassroots human rights issues that are long neglected but yet have been at the core of their organisations’ struggle all these years. The two-hours session, although brief and compact, was spent meaningfully in frank exchange of ideas and experience between CENTHRA and the leaders.

We are pleased that at the end of the session, Islamic NGO leaders have unanimously agreed to establish a joint Secretariat to prepare Sarawak Islamic NGOs with the skills for human rights mechanisms, in particular UPR and work plan to support the preparation of the Sarawak Islamic NGO Stakeholders Report for #UPR4. CENTHRA stands ready to facilitate them in the report preparation as well as lobbying work for their future UPR-related and human rights endeavours.

Participating Islamic NGOs include: Ikatan Graduan Melayu Sarawak (IGMS), Kenyalang Ma’ruf Club (KMC), Halaqah Kemajuan Muslim Sarawak (HIKAM), SRI & SMI Al Razi, Persatuan Kebangsaan Melayu Sarawak (PKMS), Persatuan Kebajikan Pelajar Islam Sarawak (PERKEPIS), Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia – ABIM Negeri Sarawak, Pertubuhan IKRAM Malaysia Negeri Sarawak, Pertubuhan Majlis Syura Ukhuwah ANSAB Ahlu Bayt Sarawak –ANSAB, Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia ISMA Cawangan Sarawak, Persatuan Kebajikan Pesakit Islam Kuching (PKPIK), Akademi Bina Diri ABADI, Yayasan Amal Malaysia Cawangan Sarawak, Persatuan Dayak Muslim Kebangsaan (PDMK), Harakah Islamiah (HIKMAH), Amanah Khairat Yayasan Budaya Melayu Sarawak AKYBMS, Yayasan Dakwah islamiah Malaysia – YADIM Zon Sarawak, Persatuan Peguam Syarie Sarawak.

The Muslim NGOs’ agreement to join hands with CENTHRA in our preparation for the UPR will give us a better understanding and provide an objective view of the issues that are faced by the stakeholders of Islamic NGOs in East Malaysia.