Malaysia scores 5.8 for state safety, suggests risk for arbitrary arrests: HRMI Index Right Tracker 2024

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia scored 5.8 from 10 for state safety, according to the Human Rights Measurement Initiative’s (HRMI) index right tracker.

This figure suggests a significant proportion of the population may face risks such as arbitrary arrest, torture, forced disappearance, or extrajudicial execution.

The report also highlighted a decline in the freedom from extrajudicial execution, dropping from 7.5 in 2022 to 6.8 in 2023.

Despite this concerning trend, Malaysia’s performance in protecting individuals from forced disappearance earned a commendable score of 7 out of 10.

However, the score for arbitrary arrests displayed inconsistency, with fluctuations observed over recent years.

From 2019 to 2022, the HRMI tracker score ranged from 5.2 to 6.1.

In 2023, Malaysia demonstrated incremental progress in the rights to freedom from torture and ill-treatment, scoring 5.6 out of 10 compared to 5.5 the previous year.

On the brighter side, Malaysia boasts a flawless 10/10 record in abolishing the death penalty, a stance upheld steadfastly over the years.

Compared to regional peers, Malaysia’s performance was reported to be “close to average” on the people’s right to be safe from the state.

Meanwhile, the country on its Quality of Life score, measured against both income-adjusted and global best benchmarks, indicates significant room for improvement in fulfilling rights to food, health, education, housing, and work.

Malaysia also scored 78.4% against income-adjusted benchmarks and 77.6% against global best standards.

Compared to other East Asian countries, Malaysia’s performance on Quality of Life rights is at below average.

The HRMI report index provides a valuable resource for assessing and comparing countries’ human rights performance across 13 key indicators grouped into three overarching categories: Quality of Life, Safety from the State, and Empowerment.

Currently, the HRMI tracks human rights performance of over 200 countries worldwide, offering a broad and inclusive assessment of human rights practices globally.