Empower people through legal reform, says human rights lawyer

Source : The Malaysian Insight   Chan Kok Leong   Published on 30 Sep 2017

REGARDLESS of what happens in the next general election, Malaysians need to build a better Malaysia by empowering people through laws.

“There are laws that govern the freedom of people but they do nothing to empower Malaysians.

“As such we need to review all the laws that restrict the freedom of speech, expression and association,” said human rights lawyer Syahredzan Johan in Kuala Lumpur today.

Envisioning the Future : Malaysia Beyond GE14

Malaysians are confronted with three issues that impacts on the quality of life and standard of living of the various key sectors of the population: youths stuck with spiraling debt, workers facing stagnant wages, and patients confronted with a rising cost of healthcare.

At the heart of these problems is the widening inequality in the country, one that is skewed in favour of the rich.

At present, at least 11 youths go bankrupt daily because they are unable to pay their education and housing loans. 57% of parents go into debt to pay for their children’s education loans. The loans are subsequently transferred to their children who are burdened with debt even before they secure employment.