In his defence of his controversial 'rehabilitation' comment , Suhakam deputy chairperson Harun Hashim, said that he was merely suggesting that the ISA detainees should have a programme of activities while under detention.

And when asked whether the ISA detainees in Kamunting ought to be released as they have not been formally charged, Harun quipped, 'It was up to the government to decide.'

This is a double whammy. First, he reportedly said that the ISA detainees should undergo a proper programme of 'rehabilitation', which carries an underlying assumption that they're guilty of something.

Now, he's leaving it to the government, which is known for its obsession with detention without trial (that is certainly unjust), to decide whether the detainees should be released.

If a senior Suhakam official like Harun cannot decide or determine whether it's inherently wrong or if it is a violation of a human right to detain someone without trial, is it a wonder then, that the state of the country's human rights is what it is today?

This is tantamount to saying that a Human Rights Commission doesn't have a stand on human rights!

Wither Suhakam?