The new chairperson of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), Abu Talib Othman, today defended his appointment, dismissing criticism that the organisation would be tainted by his controversial past.

The former attorney-general  who takes over from Musa Hitam, a former deputy premier  said every case he prosecuted during his 13 years on the job was conducted lawfully.

[Those allegations] are all a creation of the press, he told malaysiakini after he was handed his duties by Musa in a simple 'hand-shake' ceremony before the press at Suhakams office in Kuala Lumpur.

The announcement of Abu Talibs appointment by the Foreign Affairs Ministry yesterday drew flak from the opposition who expressed fear that the credibility of the human rights watchdog would be compromised.

When queried on that, he said, I am not aware that they have a sceptical view of me.

Abu Talib said Suhakam under his leadership will remain an advisory body to the government.

It is for the government to decide whether to accept Suhakams recommendations. The public will judge whether the government is right or not, he explained.

On the claim that he played a major role in ousting former Lord President Tun Salleh Abbas in 1988, Abu Talib explained that although he was a member of the panel which sat to dismiss Salleh, the controversial decision was not his alone.

Smiling confidently, he explained, There are provisions in the constitution for the removal of judges. The panel which met on Sallehs case comprised of the countrys top judges.

[Also] Tun Salleh did not elect to represent himself. He did not want to tell his side of the story, he added.

Evasive on ISA

However, according to Tun Sallehs book written with K Das, May Day for Justice , after reading the catalogue of fantasy crimes [he had allegedly committed, Tun Salleh] refused to appear before what was so evidently a kangaroo court.

Another blemish on Abu Talibs resume is his defence of the Internal Security Act (ISA), which Suhakam strongly opposed, and the 1987 Operasi Lalang crackdown on dissidents.

However, when asked today, Abu Talib was evasive about his personal views on the ISA.

Question: What is your opinion on the ISA that has been championed by Suhakam?

Abu Talib: The commissioners will have to make a decision. It is not an individual view and at the moment, I have not had an opportunity to have a meeting with the new members, and I will wait until that.

Do you have a personal view on the ISA?

I think personal view is not relevant.

But you need to reconcile your personal view and your job as the Suhakam chairperson...

Reconcile?

How can you champion something which you do not feel strongly about?

That I will have to discuss with the commission.

There are several criticisms about your appointment as Suhakam chief. What are your comments?

Everyone is entitled to their views.

Will you come out and prove them wrong.

It is not for me to judge.

Nevertheless, Abu Talib defended Operasi Lalang as he had personally appeared in the trial of the detainees and the judge found justification for their arrests.

He also denied ever saying that the remand centres for detainees were similar to a three-star hotel as claimed by DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang.

Abu Talib, who is on the board of half a dozen companies, was unfazed when asked if his present post would be in conflict with his corporate involvement.

If there is a conflict of interest, I would then have to choose, said the former AG who retired in 1994.

He promised to answer more queries on his controversial past in a later interview with malaysiakini .

Yet to be clarified is his alleged failure to initiate any prosecution into the RM2.5 billion Bumiputra Malaysia Finance scandal, and the scandalous destruction of the evidence implicating former deputy speaker of Dewan Rakyat DP Vijandran in a pornographic videotape scandal.

New commissioners

Besides Abu Talib, the other new commissioners are retired Treasury deputy secretary-general Ramon Navaratnam, permanent representative to the United Nations Hasmy Agam, Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (Ikim) director-general Dr Abdul Monir Yaacob, retired Education director-general Asiah Abu Samah and retired National Population and Family Development Board director-general Dr Raj Abdul Karim.

Musa and former judge Mahadev Shankar declined to serve another term, the latter for health reasons.

The terms of Anuar Zainal Abidin (a former Chief Judge of Malaya), Prof Mehrun Siraj (former law lecturer), and Malaysian Nature Society president Dr Salleh Mohd Noor had not been extended.

Anuar and Mehrun had been hailed for their inquiry into police brutality at the Nov 5 2000 peoples gathering on the Kesas Highway in Selangor, which found the police guilty of using excessive force on the participants.