Why probe our commissioners, Suhakam asks cops

[superadmin]

PETALING JAYA: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has expressed disappointment that police have summoned its commissioners for questioning when they were only doing their duty under the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999.

Suhakam said it was mandated under the Act to exercise any or all of its powers, including monitoring the human rights situation in the country.

“Suhakam’s presence at the recent ‘Keluar’ and ‘#Lawan’ assembly on July 31 was in line with its function, which is to monitor public assemblies,” it said in a statement today.

It said since its inception, its commissioners or officers have never been summoned by police for questioning when monitoring any event.

Suhakam said the action to investigate its commissioners and other human rights defenders, including representatives from the Malaysian Bar Council, for monitoring a peaceful assembly was a regressive move and against the spirit of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.


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