KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 11, 2012): Funds given to Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) by the German Embassy were used for the NGO's refugees and undocumented migrants programme, Suaram adviser Dr Kua Kia Soong said.
"The money was channelled to the refugees programme; very few people would give money for refugees and undocumented migrants," he said when clarifying the use of funds provided by the embassy to Suara Rakyat Inisiatif Sdn Bhd, a Suaram-linked company.
He was speaking at a press conference organised by 135 NGOs showing support for Suaram today.
Bersih 2.0 steering committee co-chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, who led the press conference, said the NGOs "expressed absolute horror at the manner in which Suaram, a respected human rights body, is being treated by the government".
"As NGOs, we have no issue in being investigated to ensure accounts are in proper order, but the many accusations against Suaram have been levelled against many civil societies in the past, especially when they are doing something uncomfortable for the government," she said, alluding to Suaram's investigations into the government's Scorpene submarine deal.
Centre for Independent Journalism executive officer Masjaliza Hamzah said many government-linked NGOs also received foreign funding for their work.
"It is definitely not unusual for human rights work to be supported by international organisations," she said.
According to the Foreign Ministry, German Ambassador Dr Guenther Georg Gruber had explained that the funds given to Suaram were for a workshop held in Kuala Lumpur in November 2010, which was attended by 21 NGOs.
"Funding [by the German Embassy] is only provided on a project basis, those which are close to German values including the protection and promotion of human rights," the ministry said in a statement after calling in Gruber to Wisma Putra on Friday.
The NGOs called on the government to stop the "selective persecution" of Suaram, which they described as a "witch hunt".
Tiada ulasan:
Catat Ulasan