After more than the 2 months gap when SUHAKAM had no HR Commissioners, because the TERM OF OFFICE of previous commissioners had ended on 27th April - finally, on 1st July we have SUHAKAM back again..
Rahmat Mohamad, the new chairman of the human rights commission Suhakam
Noor Aziah Mohd Awal, reappointed after having become Suhakam’s first child commissioner in 2019.
The other six are:
- former Malaysian Bar president Ragunath Kesavan;
- former director-general of Jakim, Nordin Ibrahim;
- anesthesiologist Dr Chew Chee Ming, a member of the Malaysian Medical Council;
- former Sabah attorney-general Mary @ Mariati Robert;
- lawyer Hasnal Rezua Merican Habib Merican, a former legal adviser to Barisan Nasional; and
- lawyer Nazira Abdul Rahim, a director of Universiti Utara Malaysia.
Will SUHAKAM be the same - well, ultimately as we have seen, it all depends on the appointed Commissioners...Are they for Human Rights and Justice? Will they act fearlessly...even if it means speaking out against the Malaysian government..
One concern that emerged this time is the fact that some Commissioners has an active political life in political parties... would this compromise their position as HR Commissioners. Personally, I believe that all Suhakam Commissioners, during their term of office, must take a BREAK from political positions - i.e. being in branch level, division, State or national level leadership committees of political parties >> keeping your party membership is no problem.
I have also advocated that HR Commissioners really has be FULL TIME - that means all other employment and business responsibilities takes 'LEAVE" from the date of appointment until the end of their term of office....it would be good if their monthly remuneration also be increased to make sure SUHAKAM has full-time Commissioners.
There is a LOT of work all over Malaysia - and the HR Commissioner need to personally go and do their work. Visiting places of detention where deaths occurred - well the power is only granted to SUHAKAM Commissioners - they cannot delegate to some staff...
The holding of INQUIRIES - well, this means at least 3 would be involved and we know inquiries tend to go on for many many days, as the panel hears numerous witnesses... so, with 8 Commissioners(including the Chairman), SUHAKAM only can conduct 2 Public Inquiries at the same time ---- should not it be able to conduct more if needed without having to worry the sufficiency of Commissioners.
Are these batch pro-government - placed there to make sure SUHAKAM criticizes the government less or not at all? WELL, do not jump to any conclusions yet - we shall see how they perform at the end of the day..
Have SUHAKAM came out with any statement yet? Are they still for the Abolition of Death Penalty - or has SUHAKAM position changed to only call for the abolition of the MANDATORY death penalty? What about the position of Peaceful Assembly - what will SUHAKAM say about the denial of right of Peaceful Assembly to the Malaysian Bar by the police?
UiTM law professor is new Suhakam chairman
PETALING JAYA: Rahmat Mohamad, a law professor at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), has been appointed as the new chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).
Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob made this announcement along with the names of seven other commissioners who will serve the commission for the next three years.
The announcement comes more than two months after the term of Suhakam’s nine previous commissioners expired on April 27.
Rahmat had served as the secretary-general of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization from 2008 to 2016. The legal expert is also the chairman of the National Sports Institute.
Of the seven other commissioners named today, Noor Aziah Mohd Awal is the only one to be reappointed after having become Suhakam’s first child commissioner in 2019.
The other six are former Malaysian Bar president Ragunath Kesavan, Nordin Ibrahim, Dr Chew Chee Ming, Mary @ Mariati Robert, Hasnal Rezua Merican Habib Merican, and Nazira Abdul Rahim.
Their appointments were effective June 22.
In a statement, Ismail said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had consented to their appointments to Suhakam.
On Wednesday, retired Court of Appeal judge Mah Weng Kwai urged Putrajaya to appoint the new Suhakam commissioners promptly or Malaysia would risk losing its seat on the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council.
It was the third time that Suhakam was left without commissioners, which Mah warned would affect the commission’s advocacy work.
Mah, a former Suhakam commissioner, had questioned why it was taking the government so long to make the appointments, saying Suhakam could not function without its commissioners.
The former judge had served two terms as a commissioner, the maximum allowed under the Suhakam Act.
In May, eight NGOs issued a statement urging Putrajaya to appoint new commissioners to Suhakam immediately.
They asked for the right people to be appointed to ensure the commission remained vocal and not “pro-government”, in order to uphold human rights in Malaysia.
In 2016, under Najib Razak’s administration, Suhakam was also left
without commissioners for almost two months. The same thing happened
three years later under the Pakatan Harapan government. FMT, 1/7/2022
New Suhakam chief faces flak over Rome Statute protest
PETALING JAYA: An MP has urged Rahmat Mohamad, the new chairman of the human rights commission Suhakam, to explain his stance against the Rome Statute before accepting the position.
Rahmat, a professor of law at Universiti Teknologi Mara, is reported to have co-authored a paper in 2019 which convinced the Conference of Rulers to reject ratification of the Rome Statute, by which Malaysia would accede to the International Criminal Court.
Klang MP Charles Santiago said under normal circumstances the chairman of a national human rights institution should “inspire” human rights, but Rahmat did not.
“His (Rahmat) appointment already started with a controversy when he wrote the letter advising rulers against the Rome Statute,” he told FMT.
The Rome Statute set up the International Criminal Court which prosecutes those who commit international crimes, such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression.
Santiago added that the chairman must clarify how not ratifying the treaty compromises human rights and race relations in Malaysia.
“That will set the standard or tone of his tenure as chairman of Suhakam,” he said.
Santiago also said that Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob must also clarify the basis of appointing the new members of Suhakam, as most of them had not been known to champion human rights.
Andrew Khoo of the Bar Council’s constitutional law committee, said all eyes would be on the newly appointed commissioners considering the controversy surrounding some of its members.
He said the continuation of Suhakam’s A-status would depend very much on the calibre of the commission and how well the new commissioners would be able to build upon the work of previous commissioners.
Yesterday, Ismail announced seven other commissioners that will serve the commission for the next three years from June 22.
Among them is Noor Aziah Mohd Awal, reappointed after having become Suhakam’s first child commissioner in 2019.
The other six are:
- former Malaysian Bar president Ragunath Kesavan;
- former director-general of Jakim, Nordin Ibrahim;
- anesthesiologist Dr Chew Chee Ming, a member of the Malaysian Medical Council;
- former Sabah attorney-general Mary @ Mariati Robert;
- lawyer Hasnal Rezua Merican Habib Merican, a former legal adviser to Barisan Nasional; and
- lawyer Nazira Abdul Rahim, a director of Universiti Utara Malaysia.
Dr Chew and Mariati represent Sarawak and Sabah respectively. - FMT, 2/7/2022
Name Suhakam commissioners or risk losing UN council seat, govt told
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia risks losing its seat on the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council if Putrajaya fails to promptly appoint Suhakam’s new commissioners, warns a retired Court of Appeal judge.
Mah Weng Kwai voiced concerns over the government’s delay in appointing the new Suhakam commissioners, after their three-year term ended on April 27.
“Don’t forget that we are on the Human Rights Council and we’ve worked so hard to earn a seat there. If this thing continues, we might lose our seat next time, they might downgrade us,” said Mah, a former Suhakam commissioner, at a press conference.
Malaysia had been elected to the council for the 2022-2024 term after it won one of the 18 seats with 183 votes.
Mah questioned why it was taking the government so long to make the appointments, saying Suhakam could not function without its commissioners.
“Three years ago there was also a delay of two months. Whether it’s a coincidence or deliberate, I really don’t know. The question is why?” he said, adding that “two wrongs don’t make a right”.
The former judge had served two terms as Suhakam commissioner, the maximum allowed under the Suhakam Act.
In May, eight NGOs issued a statement urging Putrajaya to appoint new commissioners to Suhakam immediately. They asked for the right people to be appointed to ensure that the commission remained vocal and not “pro-government”, in order to uphold human rights in Malaysia.
The statement was signed by Aliran, Malaysians Against Death Penalty
and Torture, Greenpeace Malaysia, International Women’s Rights Action
Watch Asia Pacific, Network of Action for Migrants in Malaysia, Saya
Anak Bangsa Malaysia, the Teoh Beng Hock Trust for Democracy, and
Workers Hub For Change. -FMT, 29/6/2022
See full statement - SUHAKAM ‘dead’ with no HR Commissioners for 1 Month is unacceptable - 8 groups
New Suhakam commissioner vows to do his best
- Nation
-
Monday, 04 Jul 2022
PETALING JAYA: A deputy Umno division chief has come forward to defend his appointment to the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) after coming under criticisms over concerns about his political affiliation.
Selayang Umno deputy chief Datuk Hasnal Rezua Merican Habib Merican said he believed that his appointment was due to his legal experience.
“I humbly believe that my appointment was made based on my vast and continuous experience in the practice of criminal law.
“The experience places me in a strategic position to contribute to the cause of human rights,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Hasnal said he considered his appointment a privilege and pledged to do his best in his duties.
“I consider my appointment as a privilege to serve and I look forward to rendering my services to the best of my ability without fear or favour,” he said.
Earlier, human rights group Suaram had expressed concern and disappointment over the recent appointments to Suhakam, including its chairman and the two commissioners linked to Umno.
Besides Hasnal, the other commissioner Nazira Abdul Rahim is Wanita Umno chief for the Kulim-Bandar Baharu division.
Suaram executive director Sevan Doraisamy said the appointments did not reflect the independence and values that Suhakam was supposed to represent.
“Suhakam’s ability to perform its function is in question with the new chairman and commissioners.
“We are of the view that these appointments do not reflect the independence and core values of Suhakam as the national human rights institution,” he said yesterday.
Sevan said the appointments were all the more disappointing, given the fact that Malaysia recently secured a seat in the United Nation’s Human Rights Council.
He also questioned the justification behind the appointment of Suhakam chairman Datuk Prof Rahmat Mohamad, who co-authored a paper that convinced the Conference of Rulers to reject the Rome Statute.
The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is the treaty that established the International Criminal Court.
Attempts have been made to reach Nazira. Star, 4/7/2022
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