©The Malaysian Insider (Used by permission)
by ELIZABETH ZACHARIAH
The Bar Council together with the National Human Rights Society (Hakam) are renewing calls for the implementation of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) as recommended by a royal commission of inquiry some 10 years ago.
Council chairman Steven Thiru said that in view of Putrajaya's refusal to set up the IPCMC, the Bar and Hakam are organising a public forum this Saturday to continue pushing for its implementation.
"It has been 10 years since the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Police Reform headed by former chief justice Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah recommended that the IPCMC be set up, and we have been on a nationwide roadshow to call for this again," he told reporters at the Bar Council headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.
The forum is being organised by the Bar Council Task Force on the IPCMC, whose co–chair, M. Ramachelvam pointed out that Putrajaya had instead set up the Enforcement Agencies Integrity Commission (EAIC).
"The EAIC is a much watered–down substitute to the IPCMC, with no focus on the police force," he said.
"The Bar Council is of the view that it is imperative that the IPCMC be set up and in this forum, we also want to engage with the government and law enforcement agencies."
The forum will see a keynote address by Dzaiddin and the participation of critics of the IPCMC such as former Kuala Lumpur CID chief, Tan Sri Zaman Khan Rahim Khan.
Ramachelvam, however, revealed that Inspector–General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, one of the strongest opponents to IPCMC, has declined to attend the forum.
"Our view is that it is an important issue to discuss in view of the issues we have continued to face, including custodial deaths, police brutality, abuse and such." – May 28, 2015.
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