HUMAN Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) staff have called on Legal and Institutional Reform Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said to investigate their chairman. 

Twenty Suhakam employees are accusing Rahmat Mohamad of power abuse and racial discrimination. 

A letter sighted by The Malaysian Insight showed the staff had written to Azalina on May 18 seeking her assistance. 

“We hope that the minister (Azalina) can take the appropriate action so that the image and credibility of Suhakam and the government are preserved.

“We fear that if this matter is not addressed it might affect Malaysia’s reputation as a human rights advocate and member of the United Nations Human Rights council,” they said in the letter. 

The letter also names a commissioner who was involved in racial discrimination.  

“Their conduct is in conflict with the law, government policy and human rights principles.”

It was reported that Rahmat had filed a defamation suit against a commission senior official over accusations of racial discrimination and power abuse.

Civil society groups had criticised Rahmat over his action when it was revealed that Suhakam would refer the complaints of racial discrimination and power abuse to the Prime Minister’s Department’s Legal Affairs Division.

It was later reported that Rahmat would withdraw the defamation suit.

Sources told The Malaysian Insight that the senior officer’s complaint was about the chairman allegedly interfering in the interview process for a position in Suhakam and his plans to replace three non-Malay senior staffers with Malays.

Sources also said the defamation suit had not been withdrawn. 

“At a recent case management, the chairman still wants to maintain his position, withdraw with liberty to file afresh. So, case management was fixed before a judge on August 18.”

Sources said the staff’s letter to Azalina stated that an original complaint against the chairman was made by the senior officer on March 23.

The complaint was then referred to the commissioner in charge of the complaints department the next day, and it was decided that an internal investigation should be carried out on the complaint.

On April 10, a letter requesting feedback was submitted to a commissioner involved and Rahmat.

However, on April 17, the senior officer received a legal notice from a lawyer on behalf of Rahmat.

Sources also said that Rahmat’s lawyer had also sent a letter to Suhakam, asking the complainants, monitoring division commissioner and the investigating officer of the case to stop their internal investigations against Rahmat.

“On May 9, during a closed door meeting which was chaired by Rahmat, a decision was made that Suhakam could not investigate the complaint made against the chairman as this was an internal issue and there was a conflict of interest.”

Suhakam staff are claiming this was an act of intimidation by the chairman against a senior officer who made complaints about alleged violations of human rights and national regulations.  

“We bring this matter to the attention of the minister (Azalina) and hope that appropriate action will be taken to deal with it. This is a very disturbing situation for us,” they said.

Rahmat meanwhile was reported as saying that he had “nothing to hide”.

He also said that he had withdrawn his defamation suit against the Suhakam officer.

“I retracted the suit to give way for this independent investigation. I want to make it known that I have nothing to hide. Let it be open. Let them investigate whether what has been said against me is true or otherwise,” he told Malaysiakini.

The Malaysian Insight has contacted Azalina’s office for comment. –  July 10, 2023.