Dear Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam),

We, one a law student and the other a legal practitioner, write to you not only in our respective capacities, but more importantly, as concerned citizens of Malaysia.

You were established by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999 and imbued with the mandate, power and responsibility to protect and promote human rights in Malaysia. The year 2004 has come and gone and, with the dawn of 2005 and your fifth year in existence, we felt it appropriate to reflect on, and review, your achievements thus far.

Your brief history, as set out in your website , does not do you justice and fails to paint the full picture of how you came to be. The story there does not describe the political environment in which you were formed. Context is always important for comprehension and must not be disregarded.

In your case, in late-1998, prior to your formation, the then deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, was sacked giving birth to the Reformasi movement. Despite, or perhaps of his high profile, he was unceremoniously arrested following a commando raid on his house.

In his dank and dreary cell, he was viciously assaulted by no other than the nation's highest ranking police officer, the inspector-general of police. He was denied medical attention until, some nine days later, he was produced before a court, still bloodied and bruised, and charged with corruption, sparking outrage both locally and around the world.

Mass protests and assemblies in support of Anwar were held and ruthlessly quelled by the authorities. International condemnation mounted, putting pressure on the government to stop the increasing and on-going abuses of human rights. The government eventually saw the need to improve its image internationally and to deflect such criticisms.

Hence your conception and birth. An indication, if not confirmation, of the government's motive is the fact that you were placed under the purview and portfolio of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The government must have felt that you had a role to play in the arena of international relations.