I had called on Abdullah to give meaning to the first Human Rights Day in Malaysia today by giving a full accounting of the government’s responses to the three Suhakam reports , in particular on the widespread police human rights abuses at Kesas Highway, but all he could say yesterday was that the police had completed a detailed study on the Suhakam report with regard to the Kesas Highway incident, and that his Ministry had also conducted a study and he would be getting the views of other departments before any decisions were made.
He said: “We have agreed to a discussion after the relevant authorities have all studied all aspects of the report as it is important that we understand the matters raised and what the Government’s stand is.”
Abdullah should cut out all such meaningless mumbo-jumbo (or he risks being called a Minister for Mumbo-Jumbo) and put an end to the government marathon of flip-flops on the Suhakam inquiry report on widespread police human rights abuses at Kesas Highway by coming out with a serious and studied government response.
Malaysians are utterly fed up with government statements which are meaningless mumbo-jumbo on the Suhakam report, whether the outrageous statement by the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Norian Mai dismissing the Suhakam report as “biased and unrealistic”, the baseless allegation by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad that the Suhakam report was “Western influenced” and as good as “anti-national” or the ridiculous statement by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Dr. Rais Yatim which appeared in the press on August 28, 2001 that the Cabinet would discuss the Suhakam inquiry report on the next day (29th August) and that Abdullah will be issuing a statement on the Suhakam inquiry report after the Cabinet meeting - which proved untrue.
It does not speak well for the efficiency and competence of Abdullah as Home Minister or the professionalism of the police that they have not been able to come out with a serious and studied response to the Suhakam inquiry report, although it was made available to the various relevant authorities before it was made public.
Can Abdullah specify a date when a serious and studied response from the government on the Suhakam inquiry report would be forthcoming in order to protect the reputation of Ministerial competence and police professionalism?
(9/9/2001)