SUHAKAM

The government finally admits it. Loud and clear. “SUHAKAM was not meant to have teeth”. Nazri rebut Theresa Kok, Pasir Putih MP during Parliament session. Read the news at www.malaysiakini.com for further details. Sad but true. Nazri `s words added more salt to the already severe wound that SUHAKAM had suffered throughout its 7 years of “labor of love” for human rights. The wound that I am talking about here is although the institution was a cause for celebration on 9.9.99, its lack of enforcement capacity leaves the institution with a lot of potential in the dark as to how its proposals on how to improve the human rights situation in the country can be materialized. It’s a sad case actually. How would a fellow friend felt when his advice to his good friend was totally rejected on the grounds “It’s up to me whether I want to accept your opinion or not,” Especially if that fellow friend meant well and wanted the best for his good friend. A case in point when SUHAKAM `s ISA review was simply pushed aside with no acknowledgement or consideration whatsoever.

A day after the demonstration in KLCC on the oil price hike, SUHAKAM again faced humiliation when police had barricaded its entrance and prohibit activists and politicians from entering and submitting a memorandum to the commission. Dato. Siva Subramaniam gave his first ever firm and powerful statement to date since his appointment, “This will be the first and the last time police stops people from coming to SUHAKAM”. The people hope so, too.

We wait with bated breath as SUHAKAM marches through 2006 powerless and marginalized…just like the people.