Rahmat Mohamad, UiTM don who advised Malay Rulers against Rome Statute, appointed Suhakam chair

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 — Universiti Teknologi Mara’s (UiTM) deputy vice-chancellor and Faculty of Law dean Prof Datuk Dr Rahmat Mohamad was today appointed as the new chairman fo the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).

In a statement today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced his appointment including seven more commissioners for the term between 2022 and 2025 effective June 22, after receiving the consent of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.

"It is hoped that these inclusive appointments will further empower Suhakam in carrying out its activities for the wellbeing of the country,” the prime minister said.

The others appointed were Prof Datuk Noor Aziah Mohd Awal, Datuk Mohamad Nordin Ibrahim, Dr Chew Chee Ming, Datuk Mary @ Mariati Robert, Datuk Hasnal Rezua Merican Habib Merican, Nazira Abdul Rahim and K. Ragunath.

Rahmat was among those who had explained the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to the Conference of Rulers on April 2019.

Putrajaya later informed the United Nations (UN) of its decision to withdraw from the ratifying it later that month, with the then prime minister saying the decision was made due to a lot of confusion on what the statute entails caused by people with vested political interests.

Rahmat was one of the four academics who were said to have prepared a paper for the Malay rulers, with the executive summary of the paper later leaked by nine student activists.

The other three academics who drafted the paper are International Islamic University of Malaysia’s law lecturer Assoc Prof Shamrahayu Ab Aziz, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia’s (USIM) law lecturers Fareed Mohd Hassan and Hisham Hanapi.

In the document, they warned among other things that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court as he is the supreme commander of the country’s armed forces.