In a statement today, it said the police probe could also be construed as a form of harassment against the human rights defender.
Rama’s computer and mobile phone were reported to have been seized by police after his blog post alleging that police had attempted to cause the disappearance of activist Jufazli Shi Ahmad.
Suhakam urged the police to stop their investigation and expressed concern over the police probe.
“Being able to champion victims of human rights abuses, without fear of undue interference, is vital for these activists to operate,” it said in a statement.
It added any concern raised by a citizen, however critical or painful it may seem, must be seen in good faith.
“Action should only be commenced to verify the truth of such allegations and not to punish the messenger,” it added.
Suhakam said the right to freedom of speech and expression had been expressly stated under Article 10 of the Federal Constitution and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The police probe was related to an Oct 20 article on Rama’s blog citing witness accounts of how the sister of activist Jufazli might have prevented him from becoming the latest victim of “an enforced disappearance”.
Rama had said police did not tell him exactly what they were unhappy about in the article.
He said he was told that he would be investigated under Section 504 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Act, which deal with “intentional insult” and “the improper use of network facilities”.
‘Why detain Cambodians in first place?’
In another statement, Suhakam welcomed the move by the home ministry to withdraw the deportation order against Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) vice-president Mu Sochua and two other Cambodian activists who were earlier detained on arrival at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
These activists have since been permitted to enter Malaysia.
Suhakam, however, questioned the reason for their initial detention, given that their detention was unwarranted in the first place.
Their right not to be deprived of personal liberty is guaranteed under Article 5 of the Federal Constitution, Suhakam said and urged the authorities to clarify their grounds for initially detaining the Cambodians.
Suhakam is also concerned by the lack of access afforded to the Cambodians in terms of communications and the ability to reach out to organisations such as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
Suhakam hoped it and UNHCR will be given full and free access to such persons, and their ability to communicate will not be restricted.
Suhakam also repeated its call for the government to ratify the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
It also urged Malaysia to commit to the principle of non-refoulement, as provided by Article 33(1) of this convention so that such detentions do not occur in future.