Why isn’t Suhakam accorded the same treatment as other statutory bodies?

 

PARLIAMENT | Teresa Kok (Pakatan Harapan-Seputeh) has questioned why the National Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) is not afforded the same sort of allocation as other statutory bodies such as the Election Commission (EC) and anti-graft agency MACC.

Instead, she said, Suhakam’s allocation has been parked under the Legal Affairs Division, which is part of the Prime Minister’s Department.

“I was trying to find Suhakam’s allocation in the Budget but could not see it. I was made to understand later on that their allocation is placed under the Legal Affairs Division.

“I am curious as to why Suhakam is not treated the same as other statutory bodies like the EC, MACC and others (that have their own allocations),” Kok said while debating the Prime Minister Department’s allocations under Budget 2022 in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Not only is Suhakam’s funding parked under another division, but Kok also noted that it is only allocated RM12.5 million a year, which is far from enough, as most of that sum will be channelled towards operations costs.

Only about nine to 10 percent of the funding will be used for holding programmes and such, she said.

Kok also pointed out that no funding has been assigned to the Children’s Commissioner’s Office, which was established in 2019 to enhance the rights of children in Malaysia.

Kok also brought up the federal ministers’ new official vehicle, the Toyota Vellfire, which had caused some backlash when it was revealed earlier this month.

She claimed that while the ministers were enjoying their new vehicles, the official cars that Suhakam commissioners use have not been changed for more than 15 years.

“I think that, in order to respect the human rights of the Suhakam commissioners, please, can the cabinet consider giving allocation to change their cars,” she said. - Mkini