Suhakam We Re Diligently Working Behind The Scenes Despite Being Quiet

---

 


Suhakam has acknowledged that its current activities may not receive as much attention as before but reassured that it remains diligent and actively engaged in its fight for human rights.
“We have done a lot of work on the ground and to say we are not doing anything at the forefront, as the watchdog of human rights in Malaysia, is not true.
“We are still able to work like the previous commissioners… We still engage on issues regarding refugees or children. It is part of our job,” Suhakam chairperson Rahmat Mohamad told Malaysiakini yesterday.
He was responding to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok who mentioned that Suhakam’s current commissioners seemed “quieter” than their predecessors during her debate on the 2020 Suhakam Report in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday.
The DAP lawmaker highlighted the decline in proactive engagement by Suhakam and mentioned how in the past, commissioners would actively participate in fieldwork.
This included monitoring rallies and holding open hearings for victims who experienced abuse of power by enforcement officers.
Seputeh MP Teresa KokTeresa expressed concerns that currently, there is limited visibility of Suhakam's statements or activities, and many people are not familiar with the new commissioners.
In his response, Rahmat said the commission was unperturbed by Teresa’s comments but appreciated the lawmaker’s observation towards its work.
“We accept those criticisms… I believe we need to mediate.
“Mediation is very important, especially with government agencies (because) they need to understand our role clearly and what we are doing as the human rights watchdog.
“What is important (is that) at the end of the day, human rights need to be defended and guaranteed under the Federal Constitution and they (the government) must ensure that it's being enforced,” Rahmat added.
Suhakam Act finalised
Yesterday, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Ramkarpal Singh said that amendments to the Suhakam Act 1999 were already being finalised.
He told Dewan Rakyat that the ministry is working closely with Suhakam to ensure that it will be strengthened and empowered as an institution for upholding human rights in Malaysia, in accordance with the Federal Constitution.
“The proposed amendments include matters related to the procedures of appointment and dismissal of commissioners, as well as empowering the role of Suhakam in the courts,” the Bukit Gelugor MP said.
Additionally, Ramkarpal revealed that the government has considered making the appointment of Suhakam members through a Selection Committee available to the public.
He said that this was to ensure transparency in the selection process.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Ramkarpal SinghRamkarpal also revealed that from 2015 to 2020, a total of 5,440 complaints were received by Suhakam.
He said that 58 percent of these complaints have been successfully resolved, while 42 percent are still under investigation.
Ramkarpal added that the majority of the unresolved cases involve complaints related to citizenship issues in Sabah. - Mkini

---