KUALA LUMPUR: Budget cuts have left Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) confined to operating only in the Klang Valley.
This was stated by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Paul Low in a written parliamentary reply to Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) today.
“Suhakam has agreed to limit its activities to only the Klang Valley and to optimise the use of its meeting room for its activities.”
According to Low, who is in charge of governance, integrity and human rights, the move came following cuts in Suhakam’s 2016 budget, which plunged from almost RM11 million to merely RM5.5 million.
The cut also meant that the human rights watchdog would have to postpone any activities that would incur a huge cost and its overseas trips or functions would now be limited to only the important ones.
Suhakam would only be able to apply for additional allocations after June this year and, meanwhile, would have to use its reserves to manage its activities.
Former Suhakam Chairman Hasmy Agam had late last year said that Low had made a commitment to reconsider its budget for 2016, following its complaint that the drastically reduced sum would force it to operate on a deficit.