Veteran lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah has been appointed Malaysia's Ambassador-at-Large for Human Rights for a two-year term from 2016 to 2018.
Malaysian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Muhammad Shafee's appointment is part of the government's plan to boost the promotion and protection of human rights.
"The appointment of Muhammad Shafee is a manifestation of the Government of Malaysia's firm commitment to enhance engagement in addressing human rights issues with all stakeholders, including civil society organisations (CSOs), academia, government agencies and international organizations," the statement said, reports Bernama.
Muhammad Shafee has been working as a member of the legal fraternity for almost 31 years and has been actively involved in various aspects of law including human rights.
He also served as the commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) for three consecutive terms from 2004 until 2010.
Shafee had also been appointed as the Representative of Malaysia to the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) for two terms from 2009 until 2015.
