Suhakams statements in recent weeks, including that of chairperson Musa Hitam on the ceramah (public talk) ban have been consistent with its findings last year and I hope that their recommendations at least should be taken up and addressed by parliament this March.

There is also a great deal of concern about the government's plans to introduce amendments related to elections. All these are only known to a selected few because these proposals are technically official secrets under a policy drawn up by the attorney-general in the 1980s.

All this secrecy is totally unacceptable as the vote affects all of us and we need to find out in good time what the government is really up to in wanting to make these changes. Once it gets to parliament, it will be passed before you can say free and fair.

Suhakam has a function to oversee legal reform. I wonder if Suhakam has been consulted and its views given and considered over these electoral law reforms.

Something must be done about this if the government has not communicated with Suhakam. We could file a complaint to force the government to come to the discussion table with the people, not the wakil rakyat (peoples representatives). We have to think about developing a people's hearing on these proposed changes.