Human dignity as a concept is vague and abstract in its characteristic, contested in its definition, problematic in its application, and might have some wide-ranging implications when used in a broad discourse on identity politics in a plural state.
This was one of the reasons why a recent congress on Malay Dignity in Shah Alam, Selangor, had created unnecessary misperceptions, polemics and counter-reactions from a section of the Malaysian community.
This so-called backlash emerged because the concept of human dignity was unilaterally interpreted in a narrow, prejudicial and politicised manner by people who stereotyped the congress as a “racist” move against the non-Malays.
It became more intense when Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who attended the function in his capacity as a Malay leader, also delivered a keynote address to the congress.
However, Dr Mahathir, who was aware of the probable repercussion of his presence, presented his address to the congress in the form of motivation, advising the Malays to redeem the alleged erosion of their dignity through unity of purpose, self-appraisal, and prudent attitudinal shift.
This reflected his deep understanding of human dignity as a concept which can instil unity within a group of people, inculcate solidarity between groups of people in a country, or promote equitability among the general world community.
In actuality and from the macro perspective, human dignity is a universal concept on human rights which normally relates to the questions of identity and constitutional rights of humankind.
From the micro perspective and in the context of Malaysia, human dignity is mainly related to several structural provisions in the Federal Constitution which define the country’s societal and socioeconomic order.
To avoid further misconception, let us enlighten ourselves and understand the messages, clearly or implicitly contained in the following examples of writings on human dignity by several international analysts.
FIRSTLY, Jack Donnelly in Human Dignity and Human Rights (2009), quoted Kevin Hasson (2003) who said that “Human dignity is the foundational concept of the global human rights regime, the ‘ultimate value’ that gives coherence to human rights.”
He added that the 1996 International Human Rights Covenants proclaimed that “these rights derive from the inherent dignity of the human person”; whereas the Vienna Declaration of the 1993 World Human Rights Conference affirmed that “all human rights derive from the dignity and worth inherent in the human person”.
Donnelly explained that the above was built on the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) which stated that “recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”.
“And all of this can be traced back to the aim of the United Nations, as stated in the second paragraph of the Preamble of the Charter, “to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small.”
Donnelly also quoted Yehoshua Arieli (2000) who argued that “the Universal Declaration and the concept of the dignity of man were “the cornerstone and the foundation on which the United Nations sought to reconstruct the future international order of mankind and of public life in general”.
SECONDLY, Stephen Riley and Gerhard Bos, who wrote about ‘Human Dignity’ in Internet Encyclopedia on Philosophy, stated that “Human dignity can denote the special elevation of the human species, the special potentiality associated with rational humanity, or the basic entitlements of each individual”.
THIRDLY, Pablo Gilabert, in his book Human Dignity and Human Rights (2019), which provided a “philosophical account of the content and significance of human dignity as a central idea for human rights”, among others, stated that “human dignity is the moral heart of human rights”.
These examples are testimonies to the positive characteristic of human dignity as a concept in the current international order, constructed to guarantee fairness, justice and equitability among the global citizens.
In Malaysia, this concept was demonstrated in the PH government’s Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 (SPV 2030), which aimed “to create wealth for the country that would benefit Malaysians from all walks of life”.
As such, the dynamic of human dignity as a unifying factor in Malaysia has already been adopted by the PH administration to create a better tomorrow for Malaysians irrespective of race, religion and region.
However, we have to continuously safeguard our unity and resilience because this concept could be easily manipulated by people who perceive human dignity from a blinkered perspective aimed at creating unnecessary anxiety or fear within our plural society.
The writer is an analyst of strategic and security issues, and was a member of parliament for Parit Sulong, Johor, 1990-2003
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times