Leanne Tan reports for Malaysiakini on SUARAM’s Human Rights Award ceremony (10 December 2012) where UndiMsia! was nominated for the movement’s capacity-building and empowerment work among the youth. Original post found here. Lim Ka Ea, Chief Executive (Minion) of UndiMsia!’s secretariat, PusatRakyatLB, represented the movement.

Himpunan Hijau and the Murum and Baram communities have received Suaram’s Human Rights Award for their respective efforts in pushing public awareness of environmental and human rights issues.

Head judge of the award Gabungan Mansuhkan ISA’s (GMI) Norlaila Othman said the judges chose two winners this time instead of one, as both groups have displayed that “their struggle to empower and educate the grassroots has been consistent.”

The award was presented by Suaram director Kua Kia Soong at the KL and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall today.

Other nominees of the award are electoral reform awareness group Undi Malaysia and student activists Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia.

Himpunan Hijau representative Tan Woen Tian stead said that the group’s struggle was an on-going endeavour.

Struggle to continue

He said that Himpunan Hijau’s next project was to block Lynas from importing or exporting materials and holding a fasting event in Kuala Lumpur.

“We think that Malaysians are mature enough to know what they want,” he said.

Baram Protection Committee chairperson Philip Jau thanked Suaram for the award on behalf of the people of Murum and Baram.

“This is acknowledgement for what we have done over the years,” he said, adding that the campaign against the dams has been ongoing since 2009.

“They have taken our timber, taken our land and now they want to destroy us completely.

“We will continue to demand the government of Malaysia to stop the dams,” calling for the Sarawak MPs to come forward and articulate their problems.

Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR) is a non-profit based in Kuala Lumpur with the mission of promoting active democratic participation and human rights awareness.