FAC News - Tuesday, June 18, 2002 10:50 PM

Suhakam public inquiry starts today

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) public inquiry started today after a slight delay. The inquiry, which was scheduled for 9.00am, did not start until after 10.

Those of us who had left Kuala Lumpur at 5.00am and were duly seated at 8.30am were ushered out and told that we would have to first go through a security check before being allowed in again.

Why the need for the tight security when all the “terrorists” were already under Internal Security Act (ISA) detention in Kamunting is not known. As usual, the Special Branch officers and police personnel outnumbered the members of the media.

We were then told that no cell phones, tape recorders, video cameras, computers, or anything at all that would give the impression Malaysia is IT savvy would be allowed in. The only thing we could take in with us would be pen and paper – and we would have to write our reports on our laps. So much for Dr Mahathir’s Multimedia Super Corridor.

Then it was time to go in, and we were told to line up so that they could allow two in at a time.

There was no public address system and we could not hear the detainees giving their testimony. The Chairman of the Democratic Action Party, Lim Kit Siang, quipped, “This is not a public inquiry but a public whisper.” The inquiry was then adjourned to enable the authorities to arrange a PA system.

After that, things came back to normal, but by then it was already noon and way behind schedule. The morning session did not end until almost 2.00pm, by which time many of the members of the media had already left for lunch.

Clearly, things were not quite working out as planned.