Malaysia criticizes 'biased' rapporteur

Malaysia criticizes 'biased' rapporteur

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): A UN special rapporteur facing
multimillion dollar libel suits in Malaysia is biased and should
not have been reappointed, foreign minister Syed Hamid Albar said
on Friday.

Malaysia has registered its dissatisfaction with the UN Human
Rights Commission in Geneva about Param Cumaraswamy's recent
reappointment as a special rapporteur on the independence of
judges and lawyers, he said.

Param, a Malaysian, was not immediately available for comment.

Param faces four libel suits totaling 426 million ringgit
(US$112 million) filed by several companies over a 1995 article
entitled "Malaysian Justice on Trial." It appeared in a magazine
published by Euromoney plc. in London.

The International Court of Justice ruled in April 1999 that
Param has legal immunity and should be held "financially
harmless" from any damages. But Malaysian courts have ruled that
Param is not covered by the international court's ruling.