It'll be a first step towards full parliamentary debate, says chief commissioner Hasmy Agam.
KUALA LUMPUR: Suhakam has proposed that Parliament set up a select committee (PSC) on human rights as an interim measure towards full parliamentary debate on the issue.
Chief commissioner Hasmy Agam said today that he hoped one of the ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department would push the Cabinet to agree to the tabling of the proposal in Parliament.
He said some ministers in the PM’s Department had been supportive of the notion so far.
“Paul Low is in full support, Nancy Shukri accepts in principle,” he said. “But it’s not a foregone conclusion.”
The minister in charge of parliamentary affairs is Shahidan Kassim.
Hasmy said that the formation of a permanent PSC is a first step towards a full debate session.
“I have attended a PSC on another matter and the members are very non-partisan and are able to speak on sensitive issues,” he said.
He also said that debating national human rights institutions’ reports in parliament is a norm.
“We are one of the few who do not debate them,” said Hasmy.
Orang Asli land rights
Meanwhile on another issue, he hoped that the government’s special task force on Orang Asli land rights would support implementing Suhakam’s national inquiry report on the matter.
“The deadline is coming to an end soon. We are expecting the report to be out end of this month.
“If they accept a small number of our recommendations, we’ll start a campaign…I don’t think all the recommendations are accepted,” he said.
The government formed a national task force in August last year to study Suhakam’s 18 recommendations on Orang Asli land rights. Suhakam wanted to table its report in parliament but subsequently agreed to submit it to the government.
The task force is led by Integrity Institute of Malaysia chairman Mohd Tap Salleh and made up of government and NGO representatives from East and West Malaysia.
Ratify human rights conventions
Hasmy also reminded the government to ratify the four international human rights conventions for which the government had committed to look into.
The four are International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, International Covenant on Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Convention against Torture
“In a few years’ time we will attain a developed nation status. How would the rest of the world perceive us if we do not even ratify them?
“We are members of the United Nations. It is a norm though not legally binding to accept the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the conventions.
He added that the failure to accept the conventions would lead to pressure from the international community.
Hasmy added that Malaysia received a total of 232 recommendations during the Universal Periodic Review session in Geneva last month.
“We only accepted 113 fully without reservations, 37 partially and 22 in principle.”
Other recommendations were rejected totally.
Chief commissioner Hasmy Agam said today that he hoped one of the ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department would push the Cabinet to agree to the tabling of the proposal in Parliament.
He said some ministers in the PM’s Department had been supportive of the notion so far.
“Paul Low is in full support, Nancy Shukri accepts in principle,” he said. “But it’s not a foregone conclusion.”
The minister in charge of parliamentary affairs is Shahidan Kassim.
Hasmy said that the formation of a permanent PSC is a first step towards a full debate session.
“I have attended a PSC on another matter and the members are very non-partisan and are able to speak on sensitive issues,” he said.
He also said that debating national human rights institutions’ reports in parliament is a norm.
“We are one of the few who do not debate them,” said Hasmy.
Orang Asli land rights
Meanwhile on another issue, he hoped that the government’s special task force on Orang Asli land rights would support implementing Suhakam’s national inquiry report on the matter.
“The deadline is coming to an end soon. We are expecting the report to be out end of this month.
“If they accept a small number of our recommendations, we’ll start a campaign…I don’t think all the recommendations are accepted,” he said.
The government formed a national task force in August last year to study Suhakam’s 18 recommendations on Orang Asli land rights. Suhakam wanted to table its report in parliament but subsequently agreed to submit it to the government.
The task force is led by Integrity Institute of Malaysia chairman Mohd Tap Salleh and made up of government and NGO representatives from East and West Malaysia.
Ratify human rights conventions
Hasmy also reminded the government to ratify the four international human rights conventions for which the government had committed to look into.
The four are International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights, International Covenant on Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Convention against Torture
“In a few years’ time we will attain a developed nation status. How would the rest of the world perceive us if we do not even ratify them?
“We are members of the United Nations. It is a norm though not legally binding to accept the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the conventions.
He added that the failure to accept the conventions would lead to pressure from the international community.
Hasmy added that Malaysia received a total of 232 recommendations during the Universal Periodic Review session in Geneva last month.
“We only accepted 113 fully without reservations, 37 partially and 22 in principle.”
Other recommendations were rejected totally.
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