KUALA LUMPUR, 17 Oct 2008: The Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) clarified that a call for the lifting of the ban on Hindu Rights Action Front (Hindraf) issued by its commissioners yesterday was purely their personal views and not its official stand.
Suhakam chairman Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman said today the issue was never placed for discussion before the commission and hence no decision was made on its stand on the matter.
“The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act (Act 597) states that the members of the commission shall use their endeavours to arrive at all decisions of the meeting by consensus, failing which the decision by a two-thirds majority of the members shall be required,” he said in a statement here.
Therefore, he said, the statement released on the issue was purely their personal views.
Yesterday three Suhakam commissioners — Tan Sri Simon Sipaun, Datuk Dr Denison Jayasooria and Datuk Michael Yeoh Onn Kheng — issued a joint statement entitled Suhakam: Restrictions and bans on rights to association is a violation of human rights.
In the statement, they called on the government to lift the ban on Hindraf in order for this group of individuals to be held accountable for their actions. — Bernama
