The Human Rights Commission's (Suhakam) report to the UN Human Rights Council will include, among others, complaints about how it is treated by the Malaysian government.

Chief among its complaints was that Suhakam's annual report has never been debated in Parliament since it was established in 1999.

In addition, Suhakam will also be informing the Human Rights Council’s universal periodic review (UPR) that the commission's RM10 million budget was seriously inadequate.

"That is RM10 million for 85 full-time staff, eight commissioners who are not full-time and three officers.

"This is really shocking to expect us to respond to human rights in Malaysia with such a small budget...

"The law compels the government provide adequate funding, so they need to provide adequate funding," said Jerald Joseph.

Suhakam’s annual budget was slashed by 50 percent in 2016 but this was restored in recent years.

Joseph was speaking to civil society organisations during a briefing on the draft of Suhakam's report for the UPR, which would be submitted on March 29.

Suhakam wants NHRAP improved

The UN Human Rights Council will hear from Malaysia's Foreign Ministry separately in November before making recommendations on improving Malaysia's human rights track record.

Submissions from Suhakam, civil society groups and the Malaysian government will then be reviewed by the 47 member UPR working group, which will then provide feedback to all UN member states who participate in the UPR.

Suhakam's draft report seeks to inform the UPR working group that there has been an "alarming escalation" of arrests and prosecutions under the Sedition Act 1948 and for violation of public assembly laws.

The commission will also urge the UPR working group to pressure Putrajaya's to expand its national human rights action plan (NHRAP) to include freedom of expression, freedom of the press, freedom of peaceful assembly and the rights of non-citizens.

Suhakam had recommended that the NHRAP develop specific human rights indicators through consultation with stakeholders while developing an effective and meaningful implementation mechanism.

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had launched the five-prong NHRAP on March 1, which many critics claim was merely window dressing without addressing key human rights issues.