Tun Dr Mahathir’s response to the protest by some 30 NGOs that he should not have been invited by Suhakam to speak on human rights is pathetic. He reportedly asked, “Are they denying me my human rights?”

In insisting on his human rights, he has forgotten the human rights that he and his government had denied to thousands of citizens. What about their rights, Tun Mahathir? Did you ever pause to ponder about the rights of those who were locked up based on unsubstantiated and dubious claims? Did it bother you that they lost many, many years of their freedom while you were in charge of this country? Did it ever disturb you that many wasted their best years of their lives locked up in your jails without any recourse to justice?

Do you remember that on 27 October 1987 during “Operation Lalang”, more than a hundred citizens were arrested and detained under the obnoxious ISA while you were the Prime Minister, Home Minister and Justice Minister? They were denied the right to a fair trial and subjected to a grave injustice: many of them were harshly interrogated, cruelly locked away in solitary confinement, and mercilessly tortured. What justice did you extend to them?

Tun has forgotten the human rights that he denied to thousands of citizens
You denied our right to information by legislating an undemocratic law that kept under wraps many of the abuses of your administration. This Act protected those who should have been prosecuted. Do you remember Ezam’s case? He was found guilty of possession of a document that was classified under the Official Secrets Act and was convicted and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment. But you must know, as we do, that Ezam’s conviction only confirmed that there was a document from the Public Prosecutor recommending the prosecution of certain top UMNO people who were holding important government posts. Didn’t this sordid episode deny Ezam’s right to expose corruption in high places?

And what about Anwar Ibrahim? Were his human rights any concern of yours? He was handcuffed, blindfolded and beaten up in a cowardly manner by your top policeman. He was then found guilty of what were widely believed to be trumped-up charges and languished in jail for six years. Were you concerned about Anwar’s human rights? Instead, you came up with that flippant and silly remark that Anwar’s injuries could have been self-inflicted.

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