SUHAKAM

Do you know what SUHAKAM is? Have you ever heard about it?? SUHAKAM is the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia which the abbreviation is Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia. SUHAKAM was established by Parliament under the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999, Act 597. The functions of SUHAKAM are:

1) to promote awareness of and provide education relating to human rights;
2) to advise and assist Government in formulating legislation and procedures and recommend the necessary measures to be taken;
3) to recommend to the Government with regard to subscription or accession of treaties and other international instruments in the field of human rights;
4) to inquire into complaints regarding infringements of human rights.

After telling all of you of what SUHAKAM does, here it comes the SUHAKAM's powers. The powers of SUHAKAM are:

1) to undertake research by conducting programs, seminars and workshops and to disseminate and distribute the results of such research;
2) to advise the Government and/ or relevant authorities of complaints against them and to recommend appropriate measures to be taken;
3) to study and verify any infringement of human rights;
4) to visit places of detention in accordance with procedures as prescribed by laws relating to the places of detention and to make necessary recommendations;
5) to issue public statements on human rights as and when necessary;
6) to undertake appropriate activities as are necessary.

What do you think? Know more about SUHAKAM now? Please do leave your comments here.

References:

SUHAKAM official website, History, [Online], Retrieved 5 March 2009.
URL: http://www.suhakam.org.my/en/about_history.asp

SUHAKAM official website, Functions and Powers, [Online], Retrieved 5 March 2009.
URL: http://www.suhakam.org.my/en/about_functions.asp