Suhakam urged to flex powers to aid Suaram

The Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) has been urged to use its powers to prevent government “harassment and persecution” of civil society groups, in particular prominent human rights watchdog Suaram.

In a statement today, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang said Suhakam has the authority under Section 4(1)(4) of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999 to investigate if the said groups’ human rights have been violated. 

Thus far, Suhakam has not officially issued a statement on Suaram - a group it frequently engages with - despite appeals from the latter to do so.

Suhakam chief Hasmy Agam (right) told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur after a colloquium with the country's top judges this afternoon that the commission has yet to decide on a response to Suaram's plight.

"We will issue a statement soon. We need to discuss this with the other commissioners first. It will not be fair for us to issue a statement now," he said.

Lim also urged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to call off an apparent Umno and BN “war” against civil society, and to end the harassment and persecution of Suaram and others, such as the coalition for free and fair elections Bersih 2.0 and news portalMalaysiakini.

“This is totally inimical to word and spirit of  his ‘political transformation’ and pledge to make Malaysia’s the ‘world’s best democracy’,” he said. 

Lim was referring to the Najib administration’s various “transformation” plans which had become the centerpiece of his policies, but panned by critics as old wine in a new bottle. 

Funding turned ammunition
Since July, Suaram has been the focal point of a multi-government agency investigation into allegations of “suspicious” accounting and receiving foreign funding. 

Among others, Suaram was reported to have received large amounts of money from US-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED) - an non-profit outfit under the ambit of the US state department - since 2006. 

According to mainstream newspaper reports, other alleged recipients include Bersih 2.0, legal aid group Lawyers for Liberty, legal reform group Loyar Burok and Malaysiakini, among others.

Malaysiakini chief executive officer Premesh Chandran has explained that the foreign funding the company has received was for the Southeast Asia Centre for E-Media (Seacem) and various projects to promote regional press freedom.