The imminent leadership changes in the Malaysian Human Rights Commission may well render the body even more impotent, activists here fear.

The changes come at a time when detainees under the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows indefinite detention without trial, are on a hunger strike to press the government to either charge them in court or release them.

The ISA hunger strike also shows that the colonial-era law remains an unresolved issue in Malaysia and one that the next set of rights commissioners, expected to be named next week, will have to face as well.

Apart from the detainees, some anti-ISA activists and the detainees' wives have also gone on their own hunger strike. The launch of the hunger strike on April 10 marks the first anniversary of the start of several waves of arrests under the ISA.

Against this backdrop is the expiration this month of the two-year terms of Suhakam's inaugural commissioners.

Musa Hitam, chairperson of the rights commission called Suhakam, has declined re-appointment. He had come under fire from rights groups for suggesting in the aftermath of the Sept 11 attacks in the United States that human rights should ''take a back seat" in Washington's 'war against terror'.

Rights groups have already lambasted the background of a possible successor, said to be a former attorney-general.

Another three commissioners are expected to be dropped or to leave service. Among them are former Chief Judge of Malaya Anuar Zainal Abidin and former Universiti Malaya law professor Mehrun Siraj, both of whom earned plaudits for their courage despite the difficult constraints they were working under.

''We are gravely concerned about the non-reappointment of three commissioners with no reason as well as the choice of new commissioners who are being touted as likely replacements,'' said Cynthia Gabriel, executive director of the human rights group Suaram.

Toothless and meaningless

When the inaugural 13 commissioners, mainly from establishment backgrounds, were appointed in April 2000, few expected them to make waves. Most remained passive in the background, but a couple of them stood out.

But if weaker commissioners are appointed, ''we are concerned that Suhakam's independence and integrity may be further jeopardised'', Gabriel added.

She re-iterated a call by NGOs that the selection process be carried out by a committee comprising parliamentarians of different political affiliations, rights groups and civil society.

Speaking of the likely changes among the commissioners and the selection process, political scientist Johan Saravanamuttu said: ''It's a travesty of the whole idea of a commission. There is no real, meaningful NGO representation.''

In a statement, the activist group Aliran said the coming changes ''are perverse changes intended to make Suhakam toothless and meaningless.''

Suhakam's high point came last year when it produced a scathing inquiry report against police brutality and recommended easing curbs on freedom of assembly.

It had held the inquiry to probe allegations of police brutality in November 2000, during an impromptu demonstration on choked highways leading to a cordoned-off opposition rally site near Kuala Lumpur.

Suhakam's weakness is that it only has advisory powers and lacks enforcement capacity. The government has dismissed most of its recommendations on the grounds of 'national security'.

The goodwill generated by the Suhakam report quickly evaporated when a series of ISA arrests began in April 2001. To many, Suhakam's inability to visit the detainees in the early stages of their detention confirmed its impotence.

But ''in spite of initial ambivalence. . .Suhakam has done a mostly fine job since its inauguration two years ago,'' said the pro-establishment New Straits Times in an editorial. ''Although nominally independent, Suhakam was meant to aid rather than conflict with the government's leadership in improving people's lives.''

''In its championship of civil rights, it must keep its eye on the vast majority of Malaysians who are not likely ever to have reason to get roughed up at an anti-government riot or to complain about the lack of hospitality in police custody,'' it said.

But for those who are disturbed by the human rights situation in Malaysia, there are few avenues to express grievances.

In its inaugural annual report last year, Suhakam said, ''Detention without trial, the continuous state of emergency, discrimination against women, native customary rights and the ratification of various international human rights instruments are all issues that Sukakam has identified as deserving its priority attention.''

ISA failure

Certainly, the ongoing hunger strike has brought into focus Suhakam's inability to tackle the ISA, although the mainstream media has downplayed or ignored the protest altogether.

In the two years since Suhakam was formed, the number of ISA detainees has doubled to more than 80.

Ironically, Malaysia's move to round up alleged Muslim extremists has pleased Washington, as Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad prepares to meet US President George W Bush next month.

Taking part in the hunger strike inside the grounds of the Kamunting Detention Centre, in Taiping, Perak, are six detained 'reformasi' activists.

Zaid Kamaruddin, who chairs the working committee of the Abolish ISA Movement, a network of 82 non-governmental organisations, said the detainees are demanding to be put on trial or to be released.

''We think it is a very fair demand as the police have already done their investigation during the first 60 days of their detention,'' he says, referring to the initial interrogation period. ''They should have obtained whatever evidence they need to charge them in court by now.

Suhakam has said it will look into the demands of the ISA detainees, but this will be done by the new set of commissioners.

In addition, the detainees are demanding that jailed ex-deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim be allowed to go to Germany for endoscopic spinal surgery.

So far, the government has remained tight-lipped and there are no indications of any impending release of ISA detainees.