The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) today urged the government to look into the levels of accessibility to basic needs among the vulnerable groups in the country.

One of the recommendations put forward by the commission in its 'Accessibility to Basic Needs' report, was for the government to study the implications of the corporatisation of hospitals, namely the affordability of medical services.

On launching the report at the Suhakam headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, commissioner Ramon Navaratnam said the basic needs report arose from discussions during a seminar held last year on the level of accessibility to basic needs such as the right to work, food, clothing, housing and healthcare.

"While the report commends the encouraging level of accessibility to basic needs in Malaysia, it also points out the need to identify the components of each human right pertaining to basic needs.

"This is necessary to increase the level of accessibility to basic needs by vulnerable groups such as the urban and rural poor, single mothers, the elderly, people suffering from mental illness and indigenous people," said the commissioner, who is also the chairperson of Suhakam's economic, social and cultural rights working group.

Remote areas

Meanwhile, an executive summary of the basic needs report said there are various areas for improvement when it comes to the people's right to healthcare, particularly in relation to access by groups such as indigenous peoples, the poor and the aging.

"It is recommended that the government consider the need to conduct further consultations with all stakeholders on improving the public and private healthcare financing system.

"The rationale for the consultations is to ascertain whether the financial burden on the public and in particular vulnerable groups, arising from the escalating costs of healthcare could be further lightened," said the commission.

Aside from financing aspects, the commission said the government should undertake studies to ensure that available healthcare facilities met with the needs of a changing population demography such as the rising number of aged people, as well as the needs of those living in remote areas.

For example, the commission said the government could consider setting up a home support services network as part of the initiative to upgrade and expand geriatric care in the country.

The government should also look into the effects of a lack of proper water facilities in indigenous villages on the health of the residents, and the inadequate facilities in remote areas such as estates and plantations, said Suhakam.

Use Bahasa Malaysia

To improve on rights to education and information, several recommendations were made for the government to improve on teachers' training and to widen access of students to information and communications technology (ICT).

Suhakam said dialogues should be conducted with the participation of parents, teachers and students so as to explore how teacher training programmes may be tailored to ensure compatibility with changing values and expectations.

On the use of the internet, the commission said local authorities should undertake to update their websites more regularly and to put up more information in Bahasa Malaysia.

"It was highlighted at the seminar that internet content in Bahasa Malaysia is limited. This in turn leads to a situation where there is insufficient information on the internet for local consumption," the report said.

Suhakam said the public sector should improve the manner in which it responds to feedback, particularly negative ones.

"The government should consider the need to conduct further training programmes for civil servants to handle feedback from the public...These programmes may form part of the government's public complaints management system."

Squatters' plight

The commission also made a range of recommendations aimed at improving people's rights to adequate housing and a healthy environment.

Among key observations included the view that the Malaysian housing industry is too highly regulated to the extent that some of the laws, policies and guidelines have increased costs unnecessarily.

Furthermore, it was also noted that house buyers generally face numerous problems, including poor workmanship, defective work by errant developers as well as abandoned housing projects.

"It was suggested that there is a need for the government to be more pro-active in ensuring that industry players meet requirements of existing housing laws," the commission said.

Another area of concern was the plight of squatters who may be made homeless in large numbers if the government's objective to make the country squatter-free is effectively carried out.

Suhakam said the government should discuss further the findings of the national study on the control and resettlement of squatters while it worked out improvements in other related areas such as a more efficient distribution of low cost housing.