A human rights non-governmental organisation has expressed grave concern over the possible nomination of two former top government officials to head the Malaysian Human Rights Commission, or Suhakam.

Suaram officials said they were very worried over recent media reports that former attorney-general Abu Talib Othman and former inspector-general of police Hanif Omar are among those named to replace current Suhakam chief Musa Hitam.

The duo, they alleged, have tainted human rights track record that should disqualify them from being appointed commissioners in Suhakam. They were among three persons named in a March 30 report in The Star as possible replacements for the chairperson.

The other possible nominee is incumbent Suhakam vice-chair Harun Hashim, who is a former judge in the Supreme Court, now called Federal Court.

On April 2, malaysiakini , quoting a highly-placed government source, reported that five Suhakam commissioners, including chairperson Musa Hitam, will not be reappointed once their term ends on April 23.

The other outgoing commissioners are Prof Mehrun Siraj, Anuar Zainal Abidin, Mahadev Shanker and Dr Salleh Mohd Noor.

Questionable selection

Suaram director Dr Kua Kia Soong disclosed the organisations concern over the new nomination at a press conference to announce a two-year report card on Suhakam.

He said Abu Talib was an Internal Security Act apologist who, during Operasi Lallang in 1987, had claimed that the secret police remand centre in Batu Caves was akin to a three-star hotel.

I was one of the detainees at the remand centre and what Abu Talib said was a blatant lie, said Kua, adding that Hanif, as the federal police chief, had been responsible for the detention of more than a hundred people during Ops Lallang .

It will be an affront to human rights if both of them are appointed into Suhakam.

Kua has however suggested that Anuar, instead of being terminated as Suhakam commissioner, should be elevated to the post of chairperson.

Anuar, who is former chief judge of Malaya, is one of the outgoing commissioners said to have a good track record to show for his tenure in Suhakam.

Act of contempt

The non-renewal of tenure for Anuar and Mehrun is an act of contempt against the independent-minded and pro-human rights advocates in Suhakam. Both have been outstanding as human rights commissioners.

Both Anuar and Mehrun, who held the high-profile Kesas Highway public inquiry, had found the police guilty of using excessive force during a gathering of 10,000 people on Nov 5, 2000. They were censured and criticised by the government for their unfavourable reports.

Elaborating on Suhakams present composition, Kua said the grievances and objections recorded in the 1999 Joint NGO Memorandum on National Human Rights Institutions containing signatures of 38 non-governmental are being proven true.

The signatories had objected to the Suhakams line-up as some of the commissioners lacked human rights experience or credentials. They had also objected to the method of appointment.

The other objections included the brief two-year tenure as opposed to Thailands five and the Philippines seven-year tenure for their human rights commissioners.

Full-time commissioners needed

When asked if Suhakam appointments were hampered by the shortage of experienced personnel and if the number of commissioners should be increased from the present 12, Kua said these problems would not arise if the appointments were for full-time commissioners.

Right now, almost all of them are part-time commissioners. There are no commissioners at the Suhakam office all the time for better public access because they still have to maintain their other jobs elsewhere.

Musa and Mahadev have been asked to return but have turned down the offer while Musa had announced on March 23 that he will not seek another term as chairperson.

Other names circulating as potential nominees include former civil servant and corporate figure Ramon Navaratnam, ex-president of Malaysian Medical Association Dr RS McCoy and Malaysian Trades Union Congress president Zainal Rampak.

Suhakam was established through the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999 and began its operations proper on April 2000.