KUALA LUMPUR – A coalition of civil society organisations (CSO) has expressed its dismay over the new line-up for the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), claiming that the majority of the new names inspires little confidence among civil society organisations in Malaysia.
In a statement today, the coalition’s reform steering committee said that the fresh appointments announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on July 1 include those with little background in human rights work and ties to political parties.
Suhakam’s new chairman is human and legal rights expert Datuk Rahmat Mohamad while commissioners include Datuk Noor Aziah Mohd Awal, Datuk Mohamad Nordin Ibrahim, Dr Chew Chee Ming, Datuk Mary@Mariati Robert, Datuk Hasnal Rezua Merican Habib Merican, Nazira Abdul Rahim, and K. Ragunath.
Going for the jugular, the CSO platform for reform pointed out that Rahmat co-authored a paper that objected to Malaysia’s ratification of the Rome Statute and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd).
Rahmat had also been one of the four academics who had convinced the Council of Rulers to reject the Rome Statute.
“The situation is not in line with Suhakam’s mandate to advise the government on treaty ratifications,” it said, adding that it is surprised that the previous chairman, Tan Sri Othman Hashim, had not been retained as he had contributed to the human rights field.
Besides that, it alleged that since two new commissioners – Nazira and Hasnal – are active Umno politicians, the objectivity of the new line-up is at stake.
Noting that Nazira is Kedah Umno women’s wing chief (Kulim-Bandar Baharu chapter) while Hasnal is the Selayang Umno division deputy chief, it lamented the appointments, saying: “We want independent people who can perform their functions well. Active party members definitely don’t fit the bill.”
Meanwhile, the group said that Sarawak commissioner Dr Chew is incomparable with past commissioner Datuk Madeline Berma as apart from his work as a medical practitioner, he has no known background in human rights work in the context of the local society.
“This is a far cry from the past commissioner Madeline Berma, who has represented Sarawak and Suhakam excellently, and is a familiar and well-respected name among academics, state and federal government, and civil society alike,” it said.
It also claimed that Nordin, who is the former Islamic Development Department director-general, is known to deny the rights of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) individuals, as witnessed through the cancellation of a gender and sexuality conference here.
“The last commissioners defended the accreditation of Suhakam status well, and we fear that will now be sullied by a team of weak commissioners at play. Please do not regress and please do not add any shame to our difficult record of human rights in Malaysia and globally,” it urged.
“We cannot stand proud in the UN Human Rights Council while playing weak domestic politics to the detriment of human rights in Malaysia.”
As such, the coalition is pressing for public information on the selection process to see if a proper benchmark was set for the appointment of the commissioners.
Besides considering a credible background, it said that the selection process should strive to be more diverse and inclusive, and not just favouring those with a legal background.
“As the process is not transparent, it is time to have an independent mechanism for the appointment of (Suhakam) commissioners that includes parliaments and/or independent individuals who will inspire confidence rather than quiet secrecy,” it said.
Besides questioning which candidates were shortlisted and criteria utilised to appoint them to the commission, it recommended for the parliamentary special select committees to play a critical role in bringing forth a more accountable mechanism and to include best practices models.
The coalition represents 102 NGOs including Bersih, Centre for Independent Journalism, Suara Rakyat Malaysia, Sisters in Islam and Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs among others. – The Vibes, July 3, 2022
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