SUHAKAM’s recommendation that any detention must not be without judicial oversight, the government’s response was that judicial oversight could lead to bias (page 40). In SUHAKAM’s view, such response by the government is nonsensical as it is the inherent powers and duties of the judiciary to provide checks and balances and to determine the constitutionality of actions taken by the executive. Suggesting that the involvement of the courts could lead to bias is an affront to the integrity and independence of the judiciary. This year was the first time in SUHAKAM’s history that we celebrated the International Human Rights Day by having a Human Rights Day Festival with the public. We are encouraged by the public response and will consider similar initiatives on an even grander scale in the years to come. My job as Chairman is to continue to build the reputation and confidence of the public, government and civil society in SUHAKAM—the label of ‘toothless tiger’ notwithstanding. This Annual Report sets out the work we have delivered to support our objectives in 2017 and details our activities and positions within the framework of our work plan and strategic priorities. Through our activities that include research, investigations, inquiries, private and public sector initiatives, dialogues, roundtable discussions as well as reporting to international human rights mechanisms, we ensure that Parliament, international bodies and the United Nations as well as civil society have an increased confidence in SUHAKAM. SUHAKAM is dedicated to progress, growth and improvement, and to having even more of an impact in 2018. By the end of this year, there has been a realisation that SUHAKAM has to be reorganised to meet the demands and expectations for the promotion, protection and realisation of all human rights in a non-hierarchical organisation, respecting diversity in views and in search of professionalism and competency. TAN SRI RAZALI ISMAIL CHAIRMAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF MALAYSIA xii S UH A KA M A N N UA L R E P O R T 2 0 1 7