Even though the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) welcomes non-governmental organisations and other rights groups to accompany their commissioners on visits to detention centres, this will be difficult to achieve as they themselves are restricted by political red tape and limited access.

"We ourselves can't go to these centres as and when we please. We, too, need to arrange for permission from the relevant authorities," said Suhakam commissioner Choo Siew Kioh.

Choo said this when receiving local rights group Suaram's 2003 Human Rights Report on behalf of the commission today.

In handing over the report, Suaram executive director Cynthia Gabriel called on Suhakam to allow NGOs to accompany them on visits to detention centres throughout the country.

"Inviting leaders of human rights groups to accompany Suhakam on their visits to prisons and detention centres should be encouraged here in Malaysia. This is commonly practised in other democracies," she said.

"We're not just talking about the Kamunting detention centre but also police remand centres, both the known and secret ones as well as immigration detention camps." she said.

'Conditions prepared'

Suaram coordinator S Arutchelvan also urged Suhakam to conduct spot checks at the detention centres besides paying regular visits.

"It is common knowledge that when there is a scheduled visit, conditions at detention centres are prepared to make them seem better than what they actually are.

"The issue here is not just the conditions but the fact that some of them are detained without trial for indefinite periods of time," he said.

Suhakam Commissioner Abdul Monir Yaacob, who was present at the hand over, said that the commission had conducted spot checks on detention centres in the past.

"However, when we conducted these spot checks, we received complaints from the authorities in charge of them that we did not give them prior notice," he said.

Arutchelvan also highlighted to the commissioners the need for more frequent visits to the Kamunting Detention Camp in Perak where the bulk of Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees are held.

"Most of the detainees there are held without evidence of any crime and are not charged in court which deprives them of an opportunity to defend themselves."

The ISA security law allows the government to detain without trial those it deems as threats to national security. Detainees are initially held for 60 days by the police under Section 73 of the act.

If the internal security minister deems it necessary, the detainee would be further detained under Section 8 which provides for a two-year detention term which can be further extended indefinitely.

'Expand mandate'

The two Suhakam commissioners also expressed their movement's desire to work with other human rights organisations, particularly Suaram which has been advocating human rights in Malaysia since 1989.

Another Suaram coordinator Eric Paulsen said while his organisation would welcome the chance to work together with Suhakam, the latter should be more pro active in "expanding its mandate and to adopt practices used by other human rights commissions around the world."

Abdul Monir later told the Suaram delegation that the commission would be studying their report.

"I will pass on your report and the recommendations made by you here today to the relevant departments in Suhakam but they need to be given time to go through it."

"We welcome your comments and criticisms. At Suhakam, we are quite open to it," he added with a smile.