The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) is peeved that the court had been postponing the hearing of the RM50 million suit filed against it by a group of Petaling Jaya Selatan racial violence victims and their families.

The three-day clashes also known as the Kampung Medan tragedy claimed six lives and left scores maimed.

Suhakam has applied to strike out the suit filed in April this year by the victims, for its alleged failure to launch a public inquiry into the March 2001 tragedy.

Suhakam chairperson Abu Talib Othman said the case, which has been postponed four times, was a matter of public interest.

Great public interest

"It is a matter of great public interest because it is an issue of interpretation of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999," he told reporters after the opening of the second conference organised by Suhakam in conjunction with the National Human Rights Day today.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court at a hearing on Aug 14 asked both parties to prepare written submissions. They were asked to further clarify and support their arguments pertaining to technical and procedural matters.

Abu Talib said the real issue of the case was whether Suhakam should hold an inquiry upon the request of every complainant.

"I consider it a purely technical issue which is clearly about whether we should hold an inquiry just because someone asked us to.

"I don't know why the courts are postponing it so many times. They (the courts) must give those seeking justice a fair hearing."

Suhakam's application to strike out the suit is expected to be heard at the end of December.

Bad faith

The suit was filed by plaintiffs V Subramaniam and others who were injured in the tragedy, on grounds that the national human rights watchdog had acted in bad faith when it failed to condemn the racial violence.

The plaintiffs also alleged that Suhakam had failed to carry out its duties and responsibilities from the viewpoint of the Federal Constitution in defending human rights in Malaysia.

Following the tragedy, several non-governmental organisations and opposition Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia (Prim) had urged Suhakam to launch a probe into allegations that the violence was premeditated and that the police were slow in containing it.