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.