The government should explain its claim that an international human rights committee had accepted a report by a Malaysian delegation recently without the need for further inquiry, said an opposition member of parliament (MP) in the Dewan Rakyat today.

DAP MP for Batu Gajah, Fong Po Kuan labeled the delegation's claim about the response to the report which was submitted at the 105th Inter-Parliamentary Union conference as "dishonest".

According to Fong, the organisation's secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland, had confirmed that it had only promised a thorough study of the report ([#1] IPU resolution[/#] ).

"The committee had told the Malaysian delegates that it would give its full attention to their report and requested them to be present at the next session in September this year for a presentation of the committee's conclusions," she said.

The five-member delegation headed by BN MP for Tambun Husni Hanadzlah had attended the conference in Havana, Cuba, recently and presented a report concerning human rights conditions in the country.

This included the ill-treatment of jailed former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim by the then Inspector-General of Police Rahim Noor, the contempt of court judgment on defence counsel Zainur Zakaria and the general condition of detainees in Malaysia.

Biased selection

On April 16, national news agency Bernama said that the report was well received and the next day Husni was quoted by a Chinese daily as saying "the Malaysian report was the only one out of 18 other reports from various countries to have been accepted without having to undergo closed-door examination".

Fong also criticised the "biased" selection of the delegates as no opposition MPs were chosen to participate in preparing the report and the conference despite being IPU members themselves.

The other four Malaysian delegates who attended the conference were Ng Lip Yong (BN-Batu), Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar (BN-Batu Lupar), P Komala Devi (BN-Kapar) and Senator Christina Tibok Vanhouten.

"Why were there no opposition members chosen? They (the government) did not even show us the document to seek for approval before presenting it in Cuba," she said.

However, Husni accused the opposition of deliberately bring up the matter to distract him from delivering his speech on the Eighth Malaysia Plan.

Husni insisted that he told the truth to the public and defended the government's selection of the delegates.

"IPU came to Malaysia to interview several opposition leaders before we (the delegates) left for Cuba. People like Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh told their side of the story and later the government sent its delegates to present its case," he explained.

"Isn't this fair? Don't underestimate IPU's capability and credibility in handling human rights issues," he added.

Something shameful

Husni cited the participation of PAS MP for Yan Nasharuddin Mat Isa in the IPU conference last year as an example to refute Fong's accusation.

"Ask the PAS secretary-general (Nasharuddin) whether he was at the IPU conference in Jordan with me," he said.

At this juncture, Nasharuddin responded, "I did go to the conference but I was never offered to be part of the human rights committee by the Malaysian delegation. I demand an explanation for that."

Husni declined to explain, adding that it was not necessary as Nasharuddin did "something shameful" and he did not want to talk about it.

Nasharuddin immediately asked the deputy speaker Lim Si Cheng to intervene in the "intentional malice" shown by Husni, whereupon a squabble erupted.

Husni accused Nasharuddin of not attending most of the IPU sessions last year while the latter kept insisting that he did.

The commotion lasted for about 10 minutes, following which, the deputy speaker sternly ordered all the MPs to discipline themselves and remain silent when he talked, as stated clearly in the standing orders of the House.

"When everybody talks, it is difficult for the speaker to follow the argument like what happened a short while ago. Do not challenge the rules. Everyone must respect and obey the rules so that we may proceed with the session," he said.