The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia's (Suhakam) intention to submit a memorandum of protest to the US embassy and the British and Australian High Commissions has been described as an act that is "beyond its statutory scope and jurisdiction".

In levelling the accusation, however, DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang also welcomed the move.

Right to live

Yesterday, commissioner Prof Hamdan Adnan (right) announced that Suhakam would be sending a memorandum of protest against the invasion of Iraq to the foreign missions of countries involved in the attack.

Lim said Hamdan's statement "that the war resulted in the mother of all human rights the right to live being ignored and trampled o­n" should be endorsed by all national and international organisations committed to the protection of human rights.

He called o­n the commission to ensure an equally vigorous and robust approach to all domestic human rights issues and challenges.

"DAP would want to see Suhakam being consistent and adopting a similar approach to all domestic human rights issues," said the former opposition leader.

Lim (photo) said Suhakam should stop disclaiming jurisdiction over issues where human rights violations are involved, by saying that it has no power due to statutory limitations.

"Suhakam's preparedness to take a stand o­n the human rights implication of the Iraq war is most commendable, especially after the decision of the 53-country UN Commission of Human Rights yesterday to reject a proposal to hold an emergency meeting to consider the effect of war," Lim said.

Malaysiakini could not reach Suhakam secretary Kamaruddin Mohamed Baria for comments o­n Lim's statement.

Wives complain

Earlier this afternoon, Kamaruddin had accepted complaints lodged at Suhakam's head office by the wives of six Internal Security Act (ISA) detainees.

Siti Normah Ismail (right), whose husband Abdullah Minyak Silam, was detained for allegedly being involved in the Malaysian Mujahidin Group (KMM), expressed disappointment with the treatment of family members during visits to the detention centre in Kamunting, Perak.

With the exception of a few staff, she said most seemed to be deliberately making it difficult for visitors to see the detainees.

"We already face a lot of trouble following the detention of our husbands under the ISA, o­n suspicions that have never been proven," she said..

Keadilan leader Saari Sungib's wife Aliza Jaafar told Kamaruddin that the wife of a fellow ISA detainee has been suffering from hypertension.

She said that Jamilah Aman, 41, who is pregnant, underwent an operation recently to save her life.

"The operation had be carried out in a private hospital after a government hospital refused to accept her case for fear of complications," said Aliza, adding that Jamilah now owes the private hospital RM10,000.

In addition, her husband's employer will be reducing his salary from next month because he has officially failed to report for work..

Aliza added that Jamilah, a mother of nine, is suffering from depression and hoped that Suhakam can find a way for her to meet her husband.

Jamilah's husband, Bakkery Mahhmud, was also detained for alleged being a member of KMM.

Compensation sought

Masitah Baharom (above, left), wife of another KMM detainee Abdul Samad Shukri Mohd, told Suhakam that she wanted the police to compensate her for spoiling the computer that was seized during her husband's detention.

"The police must be responsible for the damage as my children find it difficult to do their studies without the computer," she said.

Hamidah Wan Hamid, meanwhile, said a bank is now after her to repay RM4 million in debt (not including interest) because her husband's business collapsed after his detention.

She claimed that her husband, Mohd Sha Sharijan, is a company director and has no involvement in militant activities although he o­nce studied religion with Abu Bakar Bashir, a suspected Jemaah Islamiyah leader in Indonesia.

Abu Bakar is said to be the mastermind behind the Bali bombings last year, which killed 202 people, most of them Australians.