Irene Fernandez

Irene Fernandez (18 April 1946 – 31 March 2014) was a Malaysian human rights activist and politician. She was a People's Justice Party (KeADILan) supreme council member [1] and the director and co-founder of the non-governmental organization Tenaganita, which promotes the rights of migrant workers and refugees in Malaysia.[2]

Irene Fernandez
Fernandez in 2008
Personal details
Born
Irene Fernandez

(1946-04-18)18 April 1946
Malaysia
Died31 March 2014(2014-03-31) (aged 67)
Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
CitizenshipMalaysian
Political partyPeople's Justice Party
ResidenceMalaysia
OccupationHuman rights activist
Politician
AwardsRight Livelihood Award

In 1995, Irene Fernandez published a report on the living conditions of the migrant workers entitled "Abuse, Torture and Dehumanised Conditions of Migrant Workers in Detention Centres".[3] The report was based in part on information given to her by Steven Gan and a team of reporters from The Sun, who had uncovered evidence that 59 inmates, primarily Bangladeshis, had died in the Semenyih immigration detention camp of the preventable diseases typhoid and beriberi.[4][5] When Gan and his colleagues were blocked by Sun editors from printing the report in the paper, they passed it to Fernandez.[6]

She was arrested in 1996 and charged with 'maliciously publishing false news'.[6] After seven years of trial, she was found guilty in 2003 and convicted to one year's imprisonment. Released on bail pending her appeal, her passport was held by the courts, and as a convicted criminal, she was barred from standing as parliamentary candidate in the 2004 Malaysian elections.

In 2005, she was awarded the Right Livelihood Award for "her outstanding and courageous work to stop violence against women and abuses of migrant and poor workers".[7]

Irene Fernandez's appeal at the High Court resumed on 28 October 2008. On 24 November 2008, Justice Mohamed Apandi Ali overturned her earlier conviction and acquitted her, ending the thirteen-year case.[8][9]

She died on 31 March 2014 of heart failure.[10][11]

Election Results
Parliament of Malaysia: P107 Subang, Selangor[12][13]
Year Opposition Votes Pct Government Votes Pct Ballots cast Majority Turnout
1999 Irene Fernandez (KeADILan) 28,985 44.51% K.S. Nijhar (MIC) 36,137 55.49% 67,847 7,152 73.11%

See also

References
  1. The Rocket - DAP Newsletter
  2. "Our Founder:Irene Fernandez". TENAGANITA. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  3. "Activist Irene Fernandez acquitted". TheStar Online. Archived from the original on 2008-12-17. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
  4. "ICIJ Journalists: Steven Gan". International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Archived from the original on 4 April 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  5. Steven Gan (Summer 2002). "Virtual Democracy in Malaysia". Nieman Reports. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  6. "IPF Awards 2000 - Announcement". Committee to Protect Journalists. 2000. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  7. "Right Livelihood Award Recipient: Irene Fernandez". rightlivelihood.org. Archived from the original on 2007-10-20. Retrieved 2006-08-30.
  8. "Irene Fernandez Freed". Sin Chew. Retrieved 2008-08-24.
  9. "Ms. Irene Fernandez finally acquitted!". International Federation for Human Rights. 25 November 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  10. "Activist Irene Fernandez dies". The Star Online. Retrieved 2014-03-31.
  11. Rashvinjeet S. Bedi; L. Suganya (31 March 2014). "Malaysians pay tribute to Irene Fernandez". The Star. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
  12. "Malaysia General Election". undiinfo Malaysian Election Data. Malaysiakini. Retrieved 4 February 2018. Results only available from the 2004 election.
  13. "Keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum Parlimen/Dewan Undangan Negeri" (in Malay). Election Commission of Malaysia. Retrieved 4 February 2017. Percentage figures based on total turnout.
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