The human rights organisation Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) has been significantly impacted by the 90-day freeze on foreign aid initiated by an executive order from President Trump on 20 January 2025. This funding freeze immediately halted half of SUARAM’s ongoing programmes under two funders, as well as use of more than half of core funding for operations. International NGOs of which SUARAM is a member —OMCT, FIDH, and FORUM-ASIA—also experienced funding reductions, limiting potential collaborations, and shortening timelines for ongoing projects such as the biannual report with FORUM-ASIA on national human rights institutions. Based on SUARAM’s current financial situation, the organisation’s reserves can sustain operations up until the end of 2025, prompting active efforts to secure alternative funding.
Beyond SUARAM, the foreign aid freeze has disrupted a wide spectrum of Malaysian CSOs, including those working on institutional reform, refugee and migrant rights, LGBTIQ+ rights, mental health for marginalised groups, diversity & inclusion, environmental conservation and climate change. The freeze has forced many NGOs to scale back operations, cancel programmes that are either ongoing or about to commence, reduce salaries or retrench staff. The ripple effects extend to coalition spaces in which SUARAM convenes or participates, such as the Police Accountability Cluster and the Freedom of Expression Cluster, where CSO members representing diverse sectors collaborate for advocacy and public education to address issues related to police accountability and freedom of expression respectively. With multiple coalition members affected by the freeze, and core coalition funding suspended, these platforms have had to drastically reduce activity — limiting cross-sector coordination, weakening collective advocacy, and constraining the capacity of CSOs that typically lead or drive the planning and implementation of coalition efforts.