COMMENT Malaysia has a penchant for tigers. They are majestic beasts and represent an important national symbol. Take national football team Harimau Malaya and Maybank, both have Malayan tigers as their mascot.                    

 

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), too, are meant to be fearsome tigers - their task is to keep the government in check.

 

Sadly, the way things are going, it appears these tigers had their teeth yanked out as cubs, and thus bear no fangs.

 

Sure, the government does take into consideration some recommendations made by PAC and Suhakam, such as giving errant civil servants a slap on the wrist and amending some minor laws to improve the state of human rights, but it is never anything serious.

 

The government has never tabled reports in Parliament on actions it has taken following PAC rebukes, nor has the august House ever debated Suhakam’s annual reports.

 

Presenting Suhakam’s 2014 report to the media yesterday, Suhakam chairperson Hasmy Agam lamented the commission was not even consulted on the controversial Prevention of Terrorism Act (Pota), which allows detention without trial.

 

Along with other laws which have sent human rights activists up in arms, the body which is supposed to hold the state accountable on human rights matters was merely given a cursory briefing.

 

Which is probably why Hasmy reiterated his view yesterday - the commission is worse than a toothless tiger , a watchdog tethered to a post.

Mass resignation

 

The sad truth is, the government probably does not even view Suhakam or PAC as watchdogs, but little kittens which playfully nip at the government's heels.

 

While neither are enforcement bodies, at least one kitten, Suhakam, wants to be more empowered. But after years of ignoring them, it is likely that the government will continue to deny their demands.

So how do Suhakam and PAC change this? PAC chief Nur Jazlan Mohamad might have the solution.

 

Last week, Nur Jazlan said there was no point in having PAC if the government does not take the parliamentary committee seriously.

 

So maybe, he and Hasmy and the rest of PAC and Suhakam should quit en masse, and expose the two watchdog bodies as shams set up by the government to paper over their blatant indifference to reforms and accountability.

 

Perhaps then, the government will actually take them seriously and uphold human rights as well as put a lid on public wastage.

 

But if even this fails - which it likely will - well, there is always the next general election.

 

                                                                                               

ZIKRI KAMARULZAMAN is a member of the Malaysiakini team.