KUALA LUMPUR, June 16 — The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) said today its chairman Prof Datuk Rahmat Mohamad will retract his defamation suit against a staff member who allegedly slandered and accused him of racism.
Thanking human rights watchdog Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) for bringing attention to the matter, Suhakam pledged that any complaints will be addressed by an independent investigation.
“The commission was informed that the chairman will withdraw the defamation suit that has been filed and will give way to an independent internal investigation that will not implicate any member of the Commission.
“All accusations and complaints that have been disclosed to the media will be investigated regardless of whether they involve members of the commission or Suhakam staff,” it said in a statement made available to Malay Mail.
The commission also denied that the suit was due to the staff member's complaint, explaining that it was instead for alleged defamation that happened before the complaint was filed.
It also said that the commission has no power to investigate any complaint involving itself as it will risk being exposed to a conflict of interest and affect its independence.
“The commission is aware of the importance of having an internal mechanism in solving Suhakam's internal issues. Therefore, the commission will conduct an internal audit and will discuss with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to place an integrity officer at Suhakam immediately,” it said.
Suhakam also pledged that it will expedite its internal policy on office discrimination, sexual harassment, whistleblowers, and racism within the next 30 days.
“The Commission states its commitment to tackling all forms of racism and will work to its best to ensure it is free from racism as a national human rights institution," it said.
“We also hope that nobody will politicise this issue and instead give their focus to the agenda of strengthening human rights in Malaysia.”
Earlier today, Suaram criticised Rahmat for filing a suit against its staff member, which it said would instil an atmosphere of fear against those with grievances against higher-ups in the commission.
The group accused Rahmat of lodging the suit after the staff member complained about alleged racial discrimination and abuse of power over a new staff appointment.
“The chairperson's act, if not censured, can impose a climate of fear and deter whistleblowers who may have legitimate complaints from coming forward, thus potentially compromising institutional transparency, accountability and integrity — undesirable consequences which can only undermine the credibility and effective functioning of Suhakam,” Suaram executive director Sevan Doraisamy said during a press conference.
Suaram also called for Rahmat to take a garden leave from his duties pending the outcome of any investigation into the matter.
Rahmat, a former Universiti Teknologi Mara’s (UiTM) deputy vice-chancellor and Faculty of Law dean, was appointed as Suhakam's chairman in July last year.
His term runs until 2025.
