The poor are often neglected in the crusade for rights, noted Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) commissioner Ramon Navaratnam today.

He said people normally fight for political rights such as the right to assemble and speak but the right to human dignity is overlooked.

"Human dignity is the whole issue about human rights," he told a press conference after launching Suhakam's report on human rights approach to the Millennium Development Goals at the commission headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

"Together with the realisation of several other human rights, in particular the right to privacy, adequate clothing and to take part in cultural life, the human rights approach to poverty reduction believes that a person must be able to appear in public without shame," he said.

According to the commissioner, the financially disadvantaged are ashamed of being identified as poor in public.

He said they are ashamed because of the lack of rights to proper education, healthcare, housing and clothing.

Ramon explained that the principle of freedom to appear in public without shame entailed the transparent delivery of services towards marginal, vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in non-discriminative and stigmatising manners.

Self-awareness programmes

To uplift this group, Suhakam recommended that more self-awareness programmes be conducted for the poor on their rights to equality in development.

On the report, the commissioner said: "Basically what we are trying to do is look at issues and identify the gaps from there."

"We must give attention to the poor because if we don't, problems of instability will arise," he said, pointing out that there is a legal obligation on the state as well as the community to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger.

"The human rights approach does not merely look at poverty in terms of monetary value, but goes further and defines poverty as the non-fulfillment of a person's right to a range of basic capabilities which are important for an individual to do and be the things he or she has reasons to value," he added.

In the 26-page report, Suhakam made recommendations to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger in Malaysia from a human rights perspective.

Ensure transparency

Among the suggestions, were for the government to ratify the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights so that the plight of the poor becomes an issue to be addressed by everyone in society.

It also suggested that poverty mapping be implemented immediately in order to allow policies, programmes and resources to be mobilised in ways that prioritise groups greatly affected by poverty.

Suhakam also called for the implementation of policies and programmes, particularly from the funding aspect, to be monitored to ensure transparency.

Also present at the event was Suhakam commissioners Dr Raj Abdul Karim and Prof Dr Khoo Kay Kim.