MEDIA RELEASE

For Immediate Release

DISCRIMINATION AND CRIMINALISATION UNDERMINE PROGRESS IN HIV RESPONSE

• Malaysian AIDS Council’s HIV & Human Rights Mitigation Report 2014 released in conjunction with Support. Don’t Punish. Global Day of Action finds HIV related discrimination in work place and education settings ‘disturbing’.
  
• Technical brief on drug harms in Malaysia also released on the same day denounces criminalisation-based drug legal framework and calls for a drug policy review built around a public health approach and removal of punitive measures.

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KUALA LUMPUR, 26 June 2015 – People living with HIV continue to face discrimination in education and work place settings despite the infection having no correlation with losses in productivity, the just released HIV & Human Rights Mitigation Report 2014 by the Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) has revealed today.

The report, launched in conjunction with the Support. Don’t Punish. Global Day of Action and funded through the European Union Asia Action grant, documents 14 complaints of HIV related discrimination that were lodged to MAC in 2014 observed across all sectors of society – education, employment, health care and law enforcement.

In reviewing these complaints, Datuk Dr. Raj Karim, President of MAC, expressed her disheartenment that stigma and discrimination remain very much a fact of everyday life for people living with HIV, in spite of the remarkable progress made in HIV prevention and treatment.

“In the past year, HIV related discrimination in educational institutions and work place settings was particularly disturbing,” she said. “Despite being given the assurance of good health by medical experts, employees and students living with HIV were dismissed and denied educational opportunities respectively on the grounds of ‘ill-health’.”

One such case involved a foreign language lecturer with excellent credentials who had received a job offer from a university in Sabah. Living with HIV, he was stable on antiretroviral medication. However, upon disclosure of his HIV status, the job offer was revoked on the grounds of ‘ill-health’.

Soon after the incident report was lodged, MAC immediately engaged YB P. Kamalanathan, Deputy Minister of Education, who then wrote to the Vice Chancellor of the university in question, expressing his concern at this apparent discrimination. Explaining that HIV poses no risk of transmission via everyday contact, he asked the Vice Chancellor to reconsider the revocation of the job offer.

However, in the months that followed, MAC’s follow up actions were completely ignored. This case remains unresolved to this day.

“I don’t understand why my offer letter was revoked,” said the complainant. “Doctor said I was well, and my HIV viral load is undetectable. So why am I being denied of this job opportunity?”

Reflecting on his experience, he said, “Discrimination killed my dream. All that I have worked hard for came crushing onto the ground. But I am not giving up on my dream. And above all, I am not going to live in fear anymore.”

Datuk Raj, who was deeply affected by this particular case, urged the party in question and other relevant authorities to review policies that were ill informed or outdated to reflect the most recent advancement in HIV medicine.

Another matter of grave concern is the issue of no access to essential medicines such as antiretrovirals and methadone in police lockups and custodial settings, which affects mostly drug users living with HIV.

“It gives rise to increased risk of HIV treatment resistance and ultimately death whilst in custody,” explained Datuk Raj.

“On this front, we have been working very closely with the Royal Malaysia Police to introduce best practices of medicine and health service provision in police custody from the region – such as the placement of healthcare professionals in integrated lockup centres run by Australia’s Victoria Police – and are hopeful that such responsible evidence-based measures would be implemented in the immediate future,” she added.

To access the full report, logon to https://www.mac.org.my/v3/hiv-human-rights-mitigation-report-2014/

Drug harms in Malaysia

On the same day, MAC also seized the opportunity to release a technical brief on drug harms in Malaysia, offering a snapshot into the current state of the national response to drug control and harm reduction.

While acknowledging the many successes of the Malaysian harm reduction programme (needle & syringe exchange programme and methadone maintenance therapy) that was introduced a decade ago against the backdrop of a highly restrictive legal environment and much public opposition, the document analyses the negative health outcomes for people who use drugs and the associated socio-economic impact arising from a criminalisation-based drug policy and legal framework, such as the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

It finds that in Malaysia drug arrests continue to increase over the years, indicating a rise in demand for drugs and that key performance indicators based on drug use (drug arrests) continue to be ineffective to reduce future drug use. It was also reported that in Kelantan, for example, synthetic drug use increases at the rate of 10 per cent annually.

In view of the mounting evidence globally that drug dependence is a complex chronic relapsing illness, MAC calls for a national drug policy reform, one that takes into account a comprehensive model of intervention including biomedical as well as psychosocial support.

For the reformed drug policy to work, it must be ‘fit for purpose’. If the intentions are to reduce drug related harms, a criminalisation framework fails.

The technical brief is available for download via https://www.mac.org.my/v3/sdp-technical-brief-on-drug-harms-in-malaysia/

The drug policy reform discourse has been gaining traction of late particularly in the Southeast Asian region and will feature prominently at the 24th International Harm Reduction Conference which will be held in Kuala Lumpur from 18 – 21 October 2015 and jointly hosted by Harm Reduction International and MAC.

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Malaysian AIDS Council

The Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) was established in 1992 to serve as an umbrella organisation to support and coordinate the efforts of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working on HIV & AIDS issues in Malaysia. MAC works in close partnership with government agencies, the private sector and international organisations, to ensure a committed and effective NGO-led response to the HIV epidemic.  In addition to providing nationwide coverage of HIV prevention, treatment, care and support services, MAC and its Partner Organisations serve as the common voice for communities most affected by HIV & AIDS in the country. Learn more at www.mac.org.my

Support. Don’t Punish.: Join the conversation

Support. Don’t Punish. is a global advocacy initiative to raise awareness of the harms caused by the criminalisation of people who use drugs and promote a more effective and humane approach to drugs that is based on public health and human rights. It is organised by a coalition of over 100 NGOs around the world. In Malaysia, the campaign is led by the Malaysian AIDS Council.

Stand with us in support of improving access to treatment for and ending persecution of people who use drugs! Share the campaign message widely among your friends and contacts, using the Twitter hashtag #supportdontpunish or tweet @SDPcampaign

Contact

Media & Communications Department, Malaysian AIDS Council

Zaki Arzmi       │ +6016 2922 948       │ [email protected]

Meera Abi        │ +6016 4146 400       │ [email protected]