FAC News - Thursday, June 20, 2002 9:51 AM

SUHAKAM INQUIRY ON THE ISA: “Kamunting 6” boycotts the inquiry

The “Kamunting 6” stood firm on their decision to boycott the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia’s (Suhakam) public inquiry so no one from that group came forward to testify. The “Kamunting 6” are National Justice Party Youth Leader Ezam Mohd Nor, Dr Badrulamin Bahron, Saari Sungib, Tian Chua, Lokman Noor Adam and Hishamuddin Rais.

In a press statement released through their lawyer, Cheah Kah Peng, the “Kamunting 6” said that Suhakam had promised to conduct a public inquiry on the Internal Security Act (ISA) detentions. Now, the inquiry is only into the conditions of detention and the treatment the detainees are receiving. The six contend that this is a deviation from what Suhakam had promised in April 2002.

The six were also unhappy with the recent statement by the Suhakam Chairman that reflected Suhakam was no longer opposed to the ISA. The six felt that Suhakam should focus on the law itself rather than just the conditions of detention which gives an impression that Suhakam was not opposed to the ISA as long as the ISA detainees are treated more humanely.

Suhakam was clearly upset with this decision as, according to Suhakam, it was because of the demands from the six that the inquiry was held in the first place. Suhakam had received numerous letters and complaints about how the ISA detainees are being treated. That was why the inquiry was called – to investigate all these complaints.

Suhakam reiterated that it had not changed its stand on the ISA and it still felt that the ISA should eventually be abolished. However, the public inquiry is not supposed to look into the law itself as there is another legal committee looking into the ISA which would make its recommendations to the government on the abolishment of the ISA.