THE Independent Police Complaints Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) mooted by the opposition and members of the civil society is still a long way from being established as it has been continuously and consistently derailed by the forces within the Government and the police, among others.
Only such an agency – imbued with the necessary enforcement powers – could deal with the serious disciplinary problems concerning certain sections of the police force.
However, it is not only the police who are opposed to such a move; the Government in power is similarly opposing to the idea of establishing such as commission.
But why the Government wants to protect the wrongdoers in the police force remains unclear.
What we know, however, is that the police force has been emboldened by the Government’s non-action against those who flout the law.
The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) was established some years ago as a substitute for the IPCMC.
It was a poor substitute as it lacked the necessary enforcement powers and only confined to certain government departments.
The agency can investigate and recommend actions, but beyond this, the EAIC was toothless and could not discipline the police especially those who flouted the law.
Worse, the EAIC hardly made any dent in terms of reducing custodial deaths which kept rising.
The latest move was the establishment of the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) which was again a pathetic response to thwart the calls for the establishment of IPCMC.
The Bill that sought the establishment of this commission was passed in Parliament yesterday (July 26).
The IPCC is not different from the EAIC as both are deprived of enforcement powers. In fact, the EAIC might have some powers in calling for investigations in comparison to the totally impotent IPCC.
The appointment of members of the commission will be left in the hands of Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, and this alone will render the IPCC as ineffective and empty.
The problem with the introduction of the EAIC and later the IPCC was based on the motive to side-step the need to establish an independent commission to investigate the police force without fear or favour.
The IPCMC fulfils such a criterion but it is just unfortunate that both the police and the Government have opposed to such a commission.
I am not sure what is there to hide.
In the meantime, deaths in custody are still on the rise and the Government seems rather unconcerned about this problem.
Where do we go from here? Another poor substitute for the IPCMC in a few years’ time? – July 27, 2022
Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is the state assemblyperson for Perai. He is also deputy chief minister II of Penang.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main photo credit: Malay Mail
