Malaysia urges firms of all sizes to embed human-rights due diligence in operations

At a keynote address during the National Conference on Business and Human Rights 2026, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said promoted the recently released Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) Guide for businesses of all scales. She explained that the guide’s risk-based, proportionate approach acknowledges the varied resources and challenges faced by large corporations and SMEs alike. Azalina stressed that the guide should serve as a management and decision-making instrument, not merely a compliance formality, and should be reflected across policies, operations, supply chains and partnerships.

The guide forms part of Malaysia’s implementation of the National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights 2025-2030, which translates UN Guiding Principles into three priority areas: governance, labour and environment, backed by 135 strategic actions. She warned against letting the plan become a static document, calling for shared responsibility among government, businesses and stakeholders, and said success will be measured by tangible improvements for workers and communities by 2030. Azalina also praised the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) for coordinating the plan’s rollout.