Hanif defends Putrajaya probe, says wider than Suhakam’s Bersih inquiry
Hanif presides over the investigative panel on the Bersih 3.0 rally, in Putrajaya June 4, 2012. — Picture by Choo Choy MayPUTRAJAYA, June 4 — Tun Hanif Omar has defended Putrajaya’s Bersih investigative panel, saying its scope cannot be compared to the Malaysian Human Rights Commission’s (Suhakam) own probe into the April 28 rally.
The former inspector-general of police told reporters that Suhakam’s inquiry was only “limited” to human rights abuses, while the government-appointed panel’s scope of investigations is “wider.”
“The panel is not a duplication of Suhakam. Suhakam only focuses on abuse of human rights.
“Our ten-point terms of reference include a wide inquiry, it is not limited to human rights abuse,” Hanif said.
He said he had previously invited Suhakam to take part in the Putrajaya panel, but the commission had replied that it was more “comfortable” conducting its own inquiry.
Hanif was named recently as the head of a six-man independent panel to investigate allegations of police violence against journalists and other participants of last month’s Bersih 3.0 rally.
MORE TO COME
