Centre for Human Rights Research and Advocacy (Centhra) said the absence of top leadership within the commission would jeopardise Malaysia’s ability to actively contribute to and improve the human rights situation, locally and internationally.
Centhra also noted that Malaysia is scheduled for its fourth cycle of the UPR at the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, tomorrow.
The UPR is an examination which all 193 UN member states must undergo every four to five years to assess their human rights record.
“The absence of a Suhakam chairman is not only a significant oversight but also hinders effective representation of Malaysia in this crucial forum,” Centhra chairman Azril Amin said in a statement.
He called on the government to prioritise the appointment of a Suhakam chairman without further delay to honour its international commitments and address the legitimate concerns raised by local and international human rights organisations.
Rahmat Mohamad stepped down as Suhakam chairman in August last year, a little over two months after the commission sanctioned an independent investigation over allegations of abuse of power brought against him.
Rahmat came under scrutiny following concerns over his defamation suit against a staff member who alleged that he had abused his power to influence the hiring of a specific candidate for the position of chief assistant secretary.
He denied the allegations in a media interview, in which he said all decisions were made with the agreement of Suhakam commissioners.
However, Suhakam later said the suit had been dropped to allow for an independent internal investigation that did not involve any member of the commission.
Azril also raised concerns about the lack of representation from the Islamic development department and other Islamic institutions or agencies in the UPR review this year.
“This contradicts the government’s commitment to upholding the position of Islam as the religion of the federation as stipulated by Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution,” he said.
Malaysia underwent UPR reviews in February 2009, October 2013, and November 2018.