Legal and Policy Considerations in

Reaching Key Affected PopulationsFifa Rahman, LLB (Hons) MHL (Health Law)

Policy Manager, Malaysian AIDS Council

“Where the law does not advance justice, it stalls

progress. Advancing human rights and gender

equity would not only be a triumph for the AIDS

response, but for human development as a whole.”

~ Michel Sidibe, Executive Director, UNAIDS

17 Feb 2011, Bangkok

Legal, Policy, Structural Barriers

• Criminalisation of drug use, sex work, cross-dressing and same-sex behaviour

• Detention in ‘moral rehabilitation’ for young people who sell sex, transgender young people & young MSM

• mandatory reporting laws – adults – police/social services. Impact on health access

• Parental consent to access services

• No recourse with police - assault

• No access to medicines in police lockup

• Work & educational discrimination

• Intellectual Property barriers in trade

A Snapshot of Malaysia“Kadang-

kadang saya rasa,

masuk sana

bukan lagi elok,

boleh dikatakan

contoh ada 300

orang, boleh

katakan yang 10

orang boleh

berubah.”

Q: Dekat penjara ada ubat TB, tapi lokap? A: Lokap dia tak bagi. You macamana, gian ke, tak boleh tidur ke, dia takkan

bagi.

s66 Transgender JudgementMuhamad Juzaili bin Mohd Khamis dll v State Government of Negeri Sembilan

Civil Appeal No. N-01-498-11/2012

HC Judge ‘makes the further disturbing remarks’: Apabila transeksual berpakaian wanita tetapi secara biology adalah lelaki… merekaakan terjebak dalam hubungan homoseksual, satu punca HIV.’

“In our judgment, the above remarks and findings of the learned High Court Judge, with respect, are unsupported by, and contrary to, evidence and is tainted by unscientific personal feelings or personal prejudice.”

Dato’ Mohd Hishamudin Yunus

Judge, Court of Appeal

Realisation of Need for Change?To reduce it (drug use)? That’s hard. Not sure what KPI is effective to

reduce it. (Corporal in the state of Kelantan, 31 years old)

Daily arrests are very important but it won’t decrease the drug use, as we may arrest them today, and they will be let off tomorrow. (Lance Corporal

in the state of Kelantan, 15 years in the Narcotics Department)

The KPI increases every year, this is because drug users increase every year and the type of drugs increases too. (Corporal in the Federal

Territory of Kuala Lumpur, 19 years in the Narcotics Department)

What is MAC doing?Date Event/Tweet/Letter

02-06-2014 Meeting with Dato’ Seri Zahid Hamidi. DG AADK present. Fifa,

Adeeba, Dato’ Rahim Uda present. Handed over framework on

evidence-based drug policy. He agrees new written drug policy

needed.

11-06-2014 Meeting with YB Kamalanathan at Parliament, discussed removing

HIV from university application & scholarship forms.

23-06-2014 Presentation of Qualitative Findings of the Role of Police in Harm

Reduction Research to Dato' Jamal

23-09-2014 Discussion with SAC Azham Othman, PDRM HQ D5, on briefing

to transgender people

04-11-2014 Consultation session on health staff in police custody done with

OCPDs and OCSs in Johor. Presented slides from VicPol. Surveys

conducted.

The Way Forward• HIV & the Law capacity

building – political lobbying,

advocacy monitoring &

evaluation

• More responsive interactions

with CSOs all over the country

• Drafting of advocacy plan for

2015 – consultation with CSOs

Suggestions, Feedback, Networking:

Email: fifarahman@outlook.com

Twitter: @fifarahman