Malaysian Stand on Religious Freedom Criticized

Be bold and push harder.

That’s the message NGOs have for Suhakam, whose powers are limited.

There were lofty expectations when Suhakam was formed on Sept 9, 1999. A decade on, many human rights advocates feel the commission has not lived up to them.

Last year’s notice by the International Coordinating Committee of National Human Rights Institutions (ICC) to Suhakam over its failure to comply with the Paris Principles (which set international standards for independent national human rights institutions) and the threat of a possible “downgrading” in its rating bring various concerns into focus.

If downgraded, Suhakam will, among other things, lose its right to speak at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Edmund Bon, chairperson of the Bar Council’s Constitutional Law Committee, says: “Suhakam’s numerous fact-finding reports on issues such as police brutality, freedom of assembly, education, children, women, the indigenous community and poverty have very progressive recommendations that are in line with international human rights norms.

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