National Action Plan On Business And Human Rights (NAP-BHR) In Malaysia: Current Status And Future Prospects For A Governance Tool

Business and human rights (BHR) agenda has signidficantly progressed over the last decade, particularly in the wake massive events of human rights violations perpetrated by business entities. In 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council endorsed the Guiding Prinsiples on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) to set a global standards for addressing and preventing human rights impacts associated with business activities. This article aims to analyse the initiative taken by the Government of Malaysia through various agencies in developing a National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAP-BHR) based on UNGP. At the onset, this article examines the overview of BHR issues in Malaysia in particular from legal perspectives. This is followed by the discussions on the development of NAP-BHR in Malaysia from its inception, current status and future prospects. This article uses qualitative methods through document analysis of books, journal articles, newspaper articles and other internet sources related to BHR in Malaysia. The study found that NAP BHR is a useful governance tool that can help the Government to address BHR issues and serve as a complementary force towards achieving Malaysia’s Shared Prosperity 2030 Vision.
Keywords: Business and Human Rights, National Action Plan (NAP), UNGP, Malaysia.