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Are you an amazing lawyer with 2 to 3 years post-qualification experience, who is eager to translate your skills into more meaningful work? To grow and develop yourself? To expand how you can make a difference? We are a fast growing sustainable development law firm, doing interesting work, in an interesting way. We are aiming to be remarkable. We are searching for remarkable people to join us. Download the hiring poster from this link. Applications close by 16th September 2022.

We were scheduled to meet with Members of Parliament on 1st August 2022 on the issue of climate action in Malaysia. This was organised by the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) at Parliament House. But a few days before the event, on 26 July 2022, the United Nations General Assembly came through with a historic resolution declaring access to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, a universal human right. This was (and continues to be) a big deal for the world, because the UNGA's recognition elevates this right to its rightful place of a universal human right. This is even more significant for a country like Malaysia that does not have an explicit recognition of environmental rights in its Constitution. We have Article 5(1) of the Federal Constitution on one's right to life, and some courts have interpreted this purposively so that the conditions necessary for one's life - like a clean and healthy environment - are included as a person's fundamental liberties. However, we still do not have any official recognition of this fundamental right. Within a few hours of the UNGA declaration, we discussed with our friends in Greenpeace and CERAH and decided to make the most of this and get the ball rolling on a campaign towards the official recognition of the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment in Malaysia. We agreed to start with a small campaign to get Members of Parliament to sign a direct pledge to recognise this right at the APHR event at Parliament. We then immediately reach out to the country's pre-eminent scholar on the Federal Constitution, Professor Emeritus Datuk Dr. Shad Saleem Faruqi, Tunku Abdul Rahman Chair, University of Malaya, to invite him on board. To our absolute delight, Prof. Shad quickly agreed! After an intense consideration of various constraints, opportunities, gaps and varying expectations, we finalised the MP's Pledge within three days. It is a Member of Parliament's pledge to - (1) recognise every person's right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as part of our fundamental liberty in Article 5(1); and (2) support its recognition in any - (i) future legislation, including amendments to existing legislation; (ii) future amendments to the Federal Constitution; and (iii) policies and programmes that affect the environment. It was pivotal that Prof. Shad was able to join us in meeting with the MPs at the APHR event on 1st August 2022. And we are grateful that he had adequate air time to impress upon the MPs how crucial it is for Malaysia to recognise the basic right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. On 1st August 2022, we managed to get eleven MPs to sign the Pledge! Well done to the MPs who readily committed to the pledge; well done to Prof. Shad for his eloquent and rousing intervention at the event and his swift efforts in working with us on the MP's Pledge (and its translation); our gratitude to APHR for graciously accommodating this campaign at their event and to all our civil society friends for the immense support. We hope to build on this campaign and ultimately push for an amendment of our Federal Constitution to expressly recognise this fundamental right. In the mean time, here is CERAH's campaign page and Greenpeace's campaign page, with the list of MPs who have signed on to the Pledge. All this has been done voluntarily, and we certainly welcome collaborators to help get all 222 Members of Parliament to sign on to this pledge to recognise our right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

Are you an amazing lawyer with 2-3 years post-qualification experience, who has sensed a dissonance between what you do and what ought to be? We are a growing sustainable development law firm, doing some interesting work, in an interesting way (ask us about being a for-purpose organisation). Join us! Details in the hiring poster below. Here is the PDF version. Applications close 20 July 2022.

I saw this news article on Malaysiakini this morning. TNB, our electricity utility company justifies its hydroelectric dam project in Ulu Nenggiri using the Sustainable Development Goals. I'd just like to make an observation on the possibilities for future engagement between the third sector (CSOs, citizens, etc.) and the private sector (purveyors of economic development projects). This is perhaps one of the first times the SDGs are used as a point of reference to discuss the merits of a project in Malaysia. It is a big deal because this opens up new opportunities for different groups in society to engage with each other, laying out their different interests and concerns, using the universal framework of the SDGs. As we make progress towards achieving the SDGs, there should be lesser and lesser friction for civic engagements and higher and higher resolution in the discourse of what 'sustainable development' means for all of us. Are the SDGs the panacea for all our misery? Of course not. But it sets out what is decent. And that's a beam of light in any country where the public sector has been co-opted by self-serving politicians. A beam to guide leaders and change makers putting in the work from wherever they are.

The CSOs, subject matter experts and SUHAKAM team involved in the haze pollution roundtable discussion ("RTD") got together for some updates (and glorious Somali food) on 1 June 2022 at the CSO-friendly civic spaces of Kuala Lumpur & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall. Quick recap: 7 December 2021: CERAH and a coalition of CSOs submitted a Complaint to SUHAKAM on people's right to clean air and haze pollution 9 & 11 March 2022: SUHAKAM and the CERAH Coalition co-organised a 2-day roundtable discussion, involving experts from various disciplines and sectors Presently: SUHAKAM’s post-RTD Report is being prepared. It will contain SUHAKAM’s findings and recommendations on the gaps and problems identified in this exercise. Since then, the term of all SUHAKAM Commissioners have come to an end. New Commissioners have yet to be appointed. Some of the former Commissioners may be re-appointed for a second term. Sadly, Dato’ Mah Weng Kwai who worked closely with us in the RTD has already served two terms and will not be eligible for a third one. At any rate, we congratulate and say a huge thank you to Dato' Mah for his priceless contribution and dedicated service for human rights in the country. Those in attendance included Prof. Datuk Dr. Shad Faruqi (UM, constitutional law expert), Prof. Dr. Mazrura Sahani (UKM, public health expert), Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nasrin Agha Mohammadi (UM, environmental engineering expert), Damien Thanam Divean (PEKA), Yusaimi Md Yusof (GRASS), Jennifer Isaacs and Afiq Mohamad Noor (both from SUHAKAM), Qyira Yusri (UNDI18), Emily Oi (EDF), Thing Siew Shuen, Heng Kiah Chun, Zarif Zahari, Tan Wei Kiat and Yvonne Nathan (all from Greenpeace Malaysia), and Dennis Chan, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Helena Varkkey, Azira Aziz, KK Tang, Khor Yu Leng, Alithea Wong and Jia Yaw (all from CERAH). A main reason for this get-together was to thank everyone for the priceless part that they have played in the RTD, and more broadly, for collectively creating the public conversation around haze pollution, public health, environmental rights, business & human rights, systemic gaps and areas for reform. After an update on the progress of the SUHAKAM Report by Jia Yaw, Afiq and Jennifer, Dr. Helena announced CERAH’s new collaboration with Environmental Defense Fund and Universiti Malaya on a one-year project linking the cross-cutting issues of the right to clean air, methane emissions, policy-making and public participation. Emily, who’s recently joined EDF to lead projects in Malaysia and Southeast Asia, is as excited as we are with this upcoming project. Heng, who played a pivotal role in organising this get-together, also shared about Greenpeace Malaysia's upcoming campaigns on clean air. Prof Shad suggested some good ideas for collaboration and also shared some interesting stories. Some of us were seen fangirling. It was wonderful to be in each other’s physical presence as we discussed and explored ideas. Many of us had only seen each other virtually over the past two years. Our next event together will likely be at the launch of the SUHAKAM post-RTD Report a couple of months from now, if there isn't too much delay in the appointment of the new Commissioners. To keep tabs on the progress, follow CERAH's Facebook page and Instagram page.

After months of drafting, months of building a team, months of networking with allies, this ‘big national conversation’ is finally happening. Tomorrow and on Friday, we are co-hosting a roundtable discussion with SUHAKAM, the national human rights commission of Malaysia, on haze pollution and the systemic gaps allowing it to persist. With invitations to all relevant multi-sector stakeholders, I don’t know what exactly to expect as we traverse the areas of causes of haze, impacts of haze, systemic gaps and possible recommendations and solutions. I hope that with an evidence-based and rights-based approach, we will have a great big conversation that would yield a reasonable spectrum of the most strategic solutions. We are expecting to develop recommendations (that SUHAKAM may make to the Malaysian government) based on 4 main themes: a. strengthening the recognition of environmental rights b. strengthening air quality governance c. governance governance of transboundary haze pollution d. governance Business & Human Rights Let’s see what happens next! By the way, you can find out more about the roundtable discussion happening on 9 & 11 March 2022 through this flyer.

The haze pollution complaint we (the CERAH Coalition) submitted to SUHAKAM on 7 December 2021 has triggered a national inquiry into the systemic gaps that have allowed this problem to persist. SUHAKAM will be conducting a series of public consultations with all relevant stakeholders across the public, private and non-profit sectors. The purpose of this is to enable SUHAKAM to make appropriate recommendations to the Government of Malaysia. We are inviting SUHAKAM to make recommendations on 4 strategic themes: (1) strengthening the recognition of environmental rights in Malaysia; (2) strengthening Malaysia's air quality governance; (3) strengthening the governance of transboundary haze pollution; and (4) strengthening Business & Human Rights in Malaysia. These themes relate closely to environmental justice, climate change and sustainable development. Our firm is now working closely with the CERAH Coalition, as the civil society partner of SUHAKAM, in preparing for the public consultations. We are looking for passionate individuals who can support us in this work. This is a two-month contract. You will work from home, with no regular work hours to keep. The work load is difficult to predict as there are many variables due to the nature of this unique project. Some discussions and meetings may take place in the evenings and weekends because of the diversity of people we work with. Please send your resume to contact@kiu-co.com by 20th February 2022.

I realise I should get comfortable with sharing my journey with you. A year ago, I decided it’s time to unapologetically embrace all those parts of me that felt awkward and at odds with what’s mainstream and conventional. As much as I value fitting in and yearn to be accepted, I just cannot do a lot of what is still seen as normal in the professional world. That was why I formed this law firm as a safe platform to weave the component pieces I’ve gained and developed, and offer it to humans and organisations who are change makers and fellow travellers. It has just been a year, and my, our projects have been interesting! And how we went about the projects has been interesting! I now feel comfortable saying that I am on a journey to deconstruct how I practise law. And I want to take BOLDER strides doing that. Obviously, all this scares me to death, but the torment of being inauthentic with oneself is incomparable. So, today’s the first anniversary of Kiu & Co. It’s been a liberating and fantastic adventure and the little world around me has responded really positively. I am deeply grateful to so many people for this. Thank you! I will give my all in developing Kiu & Co. as a purpose-driven law firm.