The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) was never meant to have any teeth, according to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz today.

He said this in response to Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) who asked in the Dewan Rakyat if the government would provide the commission - often criticised as a 'toothless tiger' - with more powers.

"I think you are dreaming, we have never planned to give any teeth to Suhakam. It does not have prosecuting powers because this can be done by other enforcement agencies.

"Thus, to give them teeth has never been a proposal," said Nazri, who is also the de facto law minister.

Kok lamented the problem was that Suhakam did not have enforcement powers to act against government agencies which abuse human rights.

She cited the example of the police using force on peaceful protests against the hike in fuel prices. This, she added, went against freedom of assembly.

Another example was students being hauled up for disciplinary proceedings when they filed complaints with Suhakam on the irregularities of campus elections.

Nazri retorted by saying that a police permit must be obtained before a protest could be held.

In another supplementary question, Salahuddin Ayub (PAS-Kubang Kerian) asked why Suhakam's annual reports were not debated in Parliament since its formation in 1999.

He also questioned why the government had not heeded the commission's recommendation to repeal the Internal Security Act and replace it with a clearer legislation.

Turning down the repeated demand to allocate a specific time to debate the Suhakam annual reports, Nazri reiterated that parliamentarians could freely debate it on various occasions.

"In relation to the recommendation on the ISA, the government was not bound by Suhakam's recommendation because it is up to us to decide wether to accept it or not," he said.

Two more back IPCMC

In another development, two government backbenchers voiced their support for the setting-up of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission ( IPCMC ) in their debates.

Tan Lian Hoe (BN-Bukit Gantang) told the House that the IPCMC - which had been objected by several BN MPs - was not meant to tarnish the image of the police force but rather help it regain public confidence.

Later, SK Devamany (BN-Cameron Highlands) also said he supported the IPCMC and urged the police to understand the real purpose for establishing it.

The two joined a lone MP from the ruling BN coalition, Kota Melaka's Wong Nai Chee, who last week gave his backing to the police watchdog proposal.

Tan, who is the Gerakan Wanita chief, also proposed punitive action to be taken against those who offered bribes and not be limited to those who received them.

She wanted the offenders to be canned and jailed if found guilty to show that the government was serious and committed in the fight against graft.

She also proposed that a Whistleblower Act be enacted to protect those who revealed corruption cases.