Two Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) commissioners today said it was not necessary for the watchdog to acquire more 'teeth' to function effectively.

The commission's power to influence and affect changes was based on its moral and representative authority which forced the government to listen.

This, according to commissioner Dr Raj Abdul Karim, made up for the watchdog's lack of enforcement powers.

"We don't have legal powers, but (we have) the mind power," she said during the launch of three reports on the Human Rights Approach to the Millennium Development Goals today at the Suhakam headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

Raj was responding to All Women's Action Society (Awam) president Judith Loh Koh who expressed 'shock' over the statement by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz.

Last week, the minister said the government had 'never planned to give any teeth to Suhakam' and those who sought otherwise were 'dreaming'.

Better to persuade

Another commissioner, Ramon V Navaratnam, said the government must listen and has done so in the past to Suhakam's recommendations.

Citing the commission's reports on alleviating poverty, he said Suhakam's success was reflected in the fact that the government had adhere to the recommendation to change the Poverty Line Index (PLI)

However, Ramon said Suhakam understood that not all of its recommendations could be expected to be taken up immediately by the government.

Suhakam was concerned that Malaysia had not ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights nor Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, he added.

Even so, he said, Suhakam was confident that over time this would be implemented.

He said although Suhakam could not get the government to change when and how it wanted, the commission could push the pace of change.

Speaking to reporters at the sidelines, Ramon, when responding to questions on the lack of enforcement powers, said: "I believe, it's better to persuade than to confront. To win hearts and minds rather than to force."

Addressing the audience earlier, the commissioner said the government could not ignore Suhakam's recommendations without losing the confidence of the people.

Ultimately, he said "politicians are influenced by the people and their votes."

Last week, commissioners Prof Hamdan Adnan and N Sivasubramaniam crticised Nazri for making the remark, which they termed as 'shameful'.