THE Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and non-profit human rights organisation Fortify Rights, today called for a more transparent and accessible royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into Wang Kelian, Perlis.

Suhakam commissioner Jerald Joseph said they recommended that the RCI identify those responsible for the crimes and seek their criminal prosecution.

He said the commission should consider necessary institutional or legal reforms to address deficiencies that may have contributed to the Wang Kelian incident.

“The report encourages RCI to establish the facts and circumstances surrounding the human trafficking, deaths, mass graves, and law enforcement response to the mass graves at Wang Kelian and human trafficking of Rohingya Muslims to Malaysia from 2012 to 2015,” he told reporters at the launch of the investigation report on Wang Kelian by Suhakam and Fortify Rights, in Kuala Lumpur, today. 

The report suggested that survivors of these attacks in this country deserve protection under Malaysian law as survivors of human trafficking, and in the case of Rohingya, as refugees. 
 
It recommended action against personnel from the enforcement agencies if there is proof that delays in the investigation into Wang Kelian were intentional to destroy evidence. 

On March 5, the Home Ministry announced a seven-member RCI panel headed by former chief justice Arifin Zakaria to look into the discovery of suspected human trafficking camps and mass graves in Wang Kelian, Perlis.

According to the report, former inspector-general of police Norian Mai is the RCI deputy chairman and the five other members are former head of prosecution in the Attorney-General’s Chambers  Noorbahri Baharuddin; Suhakam chairman Razali Ismail; former head of research in the Attorney-General’s Chambers Junaidah Abdul Rahman; former Malaysian ambassador to Thailand Nazirah Hussin; and former deputy chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Dr Tan Seng Giaw.

The RCI is expected to take six months to complete the investigation and submit a report of its findings to the King.

In 2015, the world was shocked by the discovery of mass graves and several transit camps in Wang Kelian linked to human trafficking activities. Nearly 150 graves with 130 human skeletons were found, which led to the arrest of 44 foreigners later.

Some of the victims were found to be from the ethnic Rohingya community in Myanmar and from Bangladesh. – Bernama, March 27, 2019.