Encroachment into orang asli land: Activists who highlight the plight of marginal and exploited communities have been excluded from the Commission

It is an impressive array of names but thinking Malaysians will wonder about the human rights credentials of the newly appointed panel members of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission.

There are many eminent and prominent individuals in this country who have contributed tremendously in the struggle for human rights, who are recognised and respected nationally and internationally for their efforts in this field. Unfortunately, they are not on this list.

NGOs that have monitored and reported human rights abuses for years and that have made it their business to be the watchdogs of human rights are conspicuously absent from the list. One would have thought that they would have been the natural choice for consideration and inclusion.

Appointing only three women out of 15 commissioners only reflects the sad reality of our male dominated society. Being the more vulnerable members of our society, women fall easy prey to abuse and exploitation. One would have thought that they deserve better representation. But that's not surprising because we are always tall on rhetoric and short on practice.

We are also disappointed that activists who have been involved in highlighting squatters' problems, encroachment into customary indigenous land, the woes of exploited plantation communities and migrant workers, and the needs of the disabled have not been included in the commission.