KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 — The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) does not have any commissioners after their term ended on April 25, similar to what happened previously in 2016.
The Star Online reported Jerald Joseph, who was acting chairman for two weeks after Tan Sri Razali Ismail abruptly quit ahead of the expiry of his term this month, as saying that Suhakam still did not know who would be the new commissioners or when they would be appointed.
“Gaps in commissioners should not happen. Barisan Nasional (BN) left Suhakam for months without commissioners. Pakatan Harapan (PH) should have been more proactive,” Sevan Doraisamy, head of human rights group Suaram, was quoted saying.
In 2016 under then-prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration, Suhakam was left without commissioners for almost two months, or 58 days. Razali’s team was only appointed in June 2016, with their appointments reportedly backdated to April that year.
Despite the change of government, Suhakam’s reports are still not tabled in Parliament.
The statutory body recently concluded after a public inquiry that the Special Branch was involved in the mysterious abduction of Christian pastor Raymond Koh, similar to that of activist Amri Che Mat. The government, however, has yet to take action on Suhakam’s findings of the “enforced disappearance”.
