Razali Ismail new Suhakam chairman for 2016-2019

PETALING JAYA: Veteran diplomat Tan Sri Razali Ismail (pix) has been appointed the new chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak in a statement today said seven members were also appointed as Suhakam commissioners for a period of three years from 2016 to 2019.
They are Professor Datuk Dr Aishah Bidin, Francis Johen Adam, Datuk Mah Weng Kwai, Datuk Godfrey Gregory Joitol, Dr Nik Salida Suhaila Nik Salleh, Jerald Joseph and Datuk Lok Yim Pheng.
Razali replaces Tan Sri Hasmy Ugam whose term as Suhakam chairman ended in 2016 after being appointed in 2013.
Razali was previously a former chairman of the United Nations Security Council and also a former president of the United Nations General Assembly.
He was also the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Myammar.
Aishah is the Dean of Law Faculty at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and former legal adviser at UKM Holdings Sdn Bhd.
Francis is honorary secretary of The Society for Disabled Sarawak.
Mah retired as a former Court of Appeal judge in January last year.
Godfrey is Kota Kinabalu Industrial Park (KKIP) Sdn Bhd director and serves as a Bomeo Development Corporation (Sabah) Sdn Bhd director.
He also serves as an independent director at Saham Sabah Berhad.
Nik Salida is the Syahriah and Law Faculty senior lecturer at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) in Nilai, Negri Sembilan.
Jerald is the Pusat Komas director who is an experienced human rights activist and trainer specialising in human rights issues.
Lok is National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general.
She is currently the coordinator of the Women's Network in EI's Asia-Pacific Region, and was the National Council of Women's Organisations of Malaysia (NCWO) treasurer.