I was not very surprised at the recent criticisms and comments made by Suhakam chief Abu Talib Othman on the police's handling of the public and the rights of the people.

Some people may have the impression that he was appointed by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his deputy to 'water down' public perception of human rights to be more in line with the so-called Asian standard as opposed to the Western one.

During his tenure as the attorney-general, he seems to be an intelligent lawyer able to use all tools at his disposal and yet play within the rules of the game.

So although some decisions were unpalatable, it was just about 'cricket' unlike his successor who actively contributed to the erosion of the credibility of our judicial process.

So true to form, he is ensuring Suhakam's relevance and therefore his role by this latest salvo. I predict his future performance will be very hard to criticise, being the shrewd 'gamester' that he is.

I sincerely hope his views will be acted upon by the powers-that-be but let's not hold our breath for too long.