The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) today told malaysiakini that there is a need to strengthen the state of human rights in Malaysia.

"We definitely need improvement," said Suhakam commissioner Anuar Zainal Abidin when asked to comment on the commission's report on human rights in Malaysia to Parliament in April.

However, Anuar added that the situation of human rights in Malaysia was much better than in other countries.

He declined to comment on the report's recommendations, saying that it had to be shown to Parliament first in three weeks' time.

The report, the first by Suhakam, covers events from the formation of the commission in April last year till the end of the year, and will be made available to the public, said Anuar who was formerly Chief Justice of Malaya..

To be published in both English and Bahasa, the 80-page document is divided into 10 chapters covering topics such as law reform, international statutes, education, complaints and inquiries.

However, the report on the ongoing inquiry into allegations of police brutality during an opposition rally last November would only be available in 2002 as the probe only began on Nov 29 last year, he said after today's session of the inquiry.

Attacked

At the inquiry today, Inspector Azmi Yahya, 36, a Special Branch officer attached to the Selangor contingent police headquarters, said that he was assaulted by seven people during the Keadilan- organised '100,000 People's Gathering' at the Kesas highway in Klang on Nov 5 last year.

"I was ordered to carry out reconnaissance, observation and obtain security intelligence during this illegal assembly.

"At around 5pm, during the course of my duties at the Bukit Kemuning toll, a group of seven to eight unknown men approached and immediately attacked me by punching and kicking me till I fell," Azmi said.

He told the inquiry that even though he had fallen to the ground, his attackers kept hitting him on the head with a hard object.

"However, I was whisked away from the group by an unknown person to a nearby Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) team with my head bleeding," he said.

He also submitted photographs of him being beaten by the group, taken by international news agency Reuters photographer Zainal Abd Halim whom he claimed was also assaulted by the group and had his camera snatched away.

Azmi said he was taken to the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah hospital in Klang where he was admitted with head injuries and bruises.

Twelve years

Mehrun Siraj, Suhakam commissioner and inquiry panel member, then asked him if he had attacked or antagonised the groups to which he replied "no".

When she asked how they had managed to identify him as a Special Branch officer, Azmi said, "I have worked in Kesas and the surrounding area for 12 years, maybe they know me".

Anuar is assisted by Mehrun, former dean of the Law Faculty of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Simon Sipaun, chairperson of the Sabah Civil Service Commission.

The inquiry continues with another police witness on Monday at the Suhakam headquarters at Menara Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur.