‘No action if current govt stays in power’

By Stephanie Sta Maria, FMT

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) turns 10 this year. For the past decade, it has fought for human rights in the country but has still wound up being called a “toothless tiger” for its inability to bring about a significant change.

Last week all 16 of its commissioners, some of whom had been serving Suhakam since its inception, stepped down to make way for a fresh team.

In an exclusive interview with FMT, Suhakam’s former vice-chairman Simon Sipaun talks about Suhakam’s role, challenges and future.

FMT: What does Suhakam have to show for itself after 10 years?

Simon: Suhakam has four roles. The first is to educate the public on human rights and we have done well as more Malaysians are now more aware of human rights issues and Suhakam.

Our second role is to advise the government on existing or proposed laws that violate human rights, like the Internal Security Act (ISA). We still have a long way more to go here. None of our annual reports have been debated in Parliament and the government has constantly turned a deaf ear to our recommendations. So while Suhakam has performed its duties, the results are yet to be seen.

The third role is advising the government on international human right treaties and instruments. When Suhakam first started, the government ratified two instruments. Ten years later, that figure hasn’t changed. Again we have done our part but the government hasn’t done its part.

The fourth role is to investigate complaints of human rights violations and to propose solutions. We have done this to the best of our abilities, but we are only a recommendatory body and have no decision-making powers. Although we’ve not done too badly in this area, our main challenge is the authorities not taking our recommendations seriously.

Is Suhakam’s reputation as a “toothless tiger” a fair one?

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