Suhakam threatens to march for more money

After budget cut from RM13mil to RM5mil, chairman says 'we may need to march to Parliament'.

KUALA LUMPUR: Suhakam, the human rights commission, has threatened to march to Parliament “to beg for money” after seeing its budget slashed from RM13 million to RM5 million.

Suhakam’s outgoing chairman Hasmy Agam said the commission’s savings were being depleted and if the government did not replenish the grant by October, the commission would be in the red. He has filed an appeal against the budget cut.

He said the government must answer the question of whether human rights were of high priority. “Is it a bread and butter issue?” he said in a press interview published on Star Online.

He said Suhakam needed at least RM13 million to meet the cost of office rent, allowances for commissioners, staff salaries, travel costs and to pay for its activities. The commission has more than 80 personnel and staff in Kuala Lumpur, Sabah and Sarawak.

“If there’s no money, we will need to put aside some programmes and we can forget about doing a National Inquiry, it is very expensive,” he was quoted as saying.

He said many people had interpreted the budget cut as the government’s reprisal for its activities but had been informed by integrity minister Paul Low that budget cuts had been made across the board after the drop in crude oil prices.

Hasmy said he hoped more commissioners would be appointed. “Seven is too tight since two are based in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.

Suhakam originally had between 13 and 18 commissioners but has had only seven since 2010.