The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) will only decide on whether to probe the alleged assault of detainees at the Kamunting detention camp when it receives a copy of the police's findings into the matter.

"Let the police do the investigation first, then only we will decide whether to have a public inquiry," said commissioner Prof Hamdan Adnan when contacted today.

He said a letter of request for a copy of the investigation report will be sent to the police over the next two days.

"We don't know when the police will give us the report. They just told us that they will give it to us as soon as possible," he added.

Families of the detainees had submitted a memorandum to Suhakam yesterday, urging the commission to launch an independent investigation into the matter.

Medical team

Hamdan, who chairs Suhakam's complaints and inquiries working groups, said no medical team will be sent to check the injuries of the detainees as requested by their families and human rights groups.

In the dialogue with Suhakam yesterday, a doctor revealed that the pattern of injuries suffered by several detainees were consistent with those showed by victims who were bound and beaten.

He then suggested Suhakam to investigate the nature of the alleged injuries.

Hamdan said Suhakam will obtain medical reports from the Taiping hospital where the detainees were warded.

"I saw the bruises and I think they would heal very quickly. No point to send a medical team now," he added.

He also reiterated the commission's call on the authorities to charge the detainees in court or free them.

"The main problem in the camp is that the detainees are angry for being detained for more than two years and their detention orders have been extended again," he said.

The Kamunting camp in Perak is where Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees are held. The law allows for indefinite detention without trial of individuals suspected of undermining national security.

Authorities claimed that the Dec 8 riot erupted when 12 detainees, all of whom are being held for their alleged involvement in terrorism, prevented security personnel from checking their block.

However the inmates, their families and lawyers claimed that the authorities had orchestrated the riot and committed grave human rights violations such as severely beating the detainees.