PRESS RELEASE | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kuala Lumpur | 5 December 2025
SIS Forum (Malaysia), Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), and the Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR) issue this joint statement following the two-day Pesta Right-Yat!, held on 5–6 December 2025 at The Grey Box, GMBB Kuala Lumpur, in conjunction with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence and International Human Rights Day.
Pesta Right-Yat! was designed as a public-facing, community-rooted call for justice, equality, and freedom. The festival brought together education, culture, and creative expression to strengthen solidarity and make human rights conversations accessible to the public, beyond policy or technical spaces. Over the next two days, the event is expected to welcome more than 500 participants.
At the launch of Pesta Right-Yat!, the European Union Ambassador to Malaysia, Rafael Daerr, stated:
“I hope the event will help us all improve the output and impact of what this event stands for: human rights, solidarity, mutual respect, and cultural diversity.”
In her remarks, SIS Forum representative Nik Shazarina Bakti noted that the festival was built on a clear principle:
“Women and young people must be included as active agents and decision-makers, not just as beneficiaries.”
She emphasised that Pesta Right-Yat! aims to create safe, inclusive spaces where members of the public can engage with rights issues through dialogue, culture, and community-building.
SUARAM’s Executive Director, Azura Nasron, also highlighted the urgency behind the festival’s message:
“This event shows that we can remain united and continue resisting, even as we face new challenges. Many of the reforms long hoped for are still incomplete. With the 16th General Election approaching, we want more than just a change in leadership; we want long-term, systemic change.”
She added that the name “Pesta Right-Yat!” reflects its spirit: standing up for the right to assemble, to express, and to be free.
According to Mazni Ibrahim, MCCHR’s Chief Human Rights Strategist, the festival aims to bring human rights conversations down to earth and back to the rakyat.
“We want people to understand their rights not just on paper, but in their everyday lives. Conversations around hate speech, internet freedom, and other human rights issues shouldn’t be limited to lawyers or policymakers. Through our strategic litigation work, we’ve seen how making complex legal concepts accessible can empower communities. That’s the spirit behind Pesta Right-Yat.
Programme highlights
Across the festival, participants engaged with a diverse range of activities, including:
• The launch of SUARAM’s 2025 Human Rights Overview Report, providing a snapshot of the state of civil and political rights in Malaysia, including civic space, freedom of expression, and the situation of marginalised groups.
• The SUARAM Human Rights Award 2025, presented to North South Initiative and Suara Mahasiswa UMS. Shortlisted nominees included GEGAR and Students Against Genocide.
• The launch of MCCHR’s strategic litigation internet freedom manual for legal practitioners, strengthening efforts against censorship, surveillance, and digital rights violations.
• A series of forums, featuring experts across various fields, covering issues such as gender-based violence, interfaith harmony, digital freedom, labour migration, hate speech, artistic expression, and policing powers.
• Cultural performances including Makyong, Wayang Kulit, traditional Indian dance, Tarian Borneo, poetry, and music – reinforcing that civic participation belongs to the public, not institutions alone, and that tradition is a living form of expression rather than static heritage.
• Sayembara Suara Inspirasi Serikandi, SIS Forum (Malaysia)’s national public speaking initiative. After receiving numerous online submissions, the top five finalists will compete live at the festival. The competition aims to empower women and youth to speak up for justice and human rights, tackling issues ranging from bodily autonomy and child marriage to domestic violence, workplace harassment, and cyber violence against women.
Our shared commitment
This festival reaffirms our shared objectives: to promote civil and political rights, including freedom of expression, assembly, and association; to empower women and young people with platforms to advocate for equality and safety; to strengthen solidarity across communities and service providers; and to create safe, inclusive spaces for dialogue through forums, art, culture, and performance.
Ending gender-based violence requires more than slogans. It demands survivor-centred systems, credible accountability, public literacy on rights and remedies, and a civic space where people are not punished for organising, speaking, creating, or resisting. Pesta Right-Yat! is one part of this ongoing work, and we will continue it.
Issued jointly by:
SIS Forum (Malaysia) | SUARAM | MCCHR
About SIS Forum (Malaysia)
SIS Forum (Malaysia) is a non-governmental organisation working towards advancing the rights of Muslim women in Malaysia within the framework of Islam, universal human rights principles, constitutional guarantees, as well as the lived realities and experiences of women.
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About Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM)
Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), founded in 1989 in response to the mass arrests under Operasi Lalang, is a Malaysian human rights organisation dedicated to defending civil and political freedoms. Today, SUARAM continues its mission through education, advocacy, and coalition-building, striving for the rule of law, democratic accountability, and the full ratification of international human rights treaties in Malaysia.
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About The Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR)
The Malaysian Centre for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (MCCHR) is a not-for-profit organisation established in March 2011 with the mission of providing an integrated approach to the promotion and protection of human rights and democracy in Malaysia.
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For media enquiries, kindly contact:
Ameena Siddiqi – Communications Manager
SIS Forum Malaysia
No.4, Lorong 11/8E, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan,
MALAYSIA
Email: [email protected] | Mobile: +6 012-380 1049 | Tel: +603 7960 5121 |Fax: +603 7960 8737
