DAP has slammed the prime minister for sidelining the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) by forming a new panel to probe reported police violence during Bersih 3.0.


 &ldquo;Is it because the cabinet is worried that the Suhakam findings will be detrimental to both the police force and the government, and hence Najib is attempting to set up a new panel that will be more &lsquo;sympathetic&rsquo; towards the government&rsquo;s cause?&rdquo; asked DAP parliamentarian Tony Pua.


 <img align="right" alt="NONE" height="215" src="http://mk-cdn.mkini.net/456/55a46e6d527ee81c441113fe81672313.jpg" width="258"/>
 Pua (
 
 right
 
 ) said the government&rsquo;s announcement was &ldquo;curious&rdquo; since it had already set up Suhakam under the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999 to handle matters of human rights infringements.


 &ldquo;Therefore, why is it that Suhakam has been marginalised when it comes to the investigation of outright human rights abuses by the police force? &nbsp;


 &ldquo;Why is there a need for the prime minister to set up a new
 <a href="http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/196887" target="_blank">
 
 &lsquo;independent&rsquo; committee
 
 </a>
 which will require a fresh set up and selection of new panel members? Are the existing commissioners not good enough?&rdquo; asked the PJ Utara MP in a statement today.


 Pua also rapped Najib for attempting to &ldquo;shift the blame&rdquo; of the chaos after Bersih had called on the rally to disperse, on the organisers refusing the offer to use Stadium Merdeka for the event.


 <img align="left" alt="NONE" height="200" src="http://mk-cdn.mkini.net/468/7fc98238ff880e1f6785419f6407ce14.jpg" width="300"/>
 &ldquo;Aside from the fact that the venue was only offered to Bersih at the very last minute, there is absolutely not good reason provided by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) for the rejection to use Dataran Merdeka.&rdquo;


 Pua blamed DBKL&rsquo;s &ldquo;unreasonable rejection&rdquo; for forcing the protest onto the streets and the police barricading the Dataran.


 &ldquo; It became a most ridiculous and ironical situation where the Bersih rally was tacitly allowed on the streets, but they were not allowed to gather on the field!&rdquo; said Pua.


 He also argued it was Najib who had breached the Peaceful Assembly Act, not Bersih, for failing to &ldquo;understand and embrace the principles and spirit of the Act to allow greater democratic space for expression and assembly by Malaysians&rdquo;.


 
 
 Suhakam dealt police blow
 
 


 Meanwhile, PAS Youth said Suhakam&rsquo;s statement following the rally deals a &ldquo;serious blow&rdquo; to the police and the government.


 PAS Youth Federal Territories deputy chief Mohamad Suhaimi Abdul Aziz in a statement today pointed out that Suhakam was present at the rally and had witnessed the acts of brutality for themselves.


 <img align="right" alt="NONE" height="200" src="http://mk-cdn.mkini.net/468/f9afe21197ff3486a502719773e9123a.jpg" width="300"/>
 &ldquo;As a body responsible for taking care of human rights, Suhakam has spoken up about a major error by the police in contravening the people&rsquo;s rights of assembly and freedom of speech,&rdquo; he said.


 With the amount of evidence available, he said, the police and government have no excuse to deny the allegations or hide from the truth.


 &ldquo;In this case there is enough evidence to haul the police to the dock to be charged.


 &ldquo;The government and in particular the Home Ministry cannot absolve themselves just like that in the face of all that has taken place,&rdquo; he said.

UPDATE 1.45PM

DAP&rsquo;s Tony Pua slams the PM for setting up a new panel when Suhakam is cut out for the job.

'Najib fears using Suhakam to probe police brutality'

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