Philosophy Politics Economics

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Will the Police Revolt Again Against IPCMC? Posted: 17 Jun 2013 06:13 PM PDT In May 2006, the Royal Malaysian Police threatened a revolt of the force should the then Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi administration proceeded to implement the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), as proposed by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the Police.  As a result, the proposed IPCMC legislation was ditched and the substantially watered down Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) was set up. Now with renewed calls for the revival of the IPCMC given the failure of the EAIC, the Deputy Inspector General of Police (IGP) Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin has again shunned calls to form an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC). "The laws are already there. The EAIC is already there. There is no point to keep discussing the IPCMC… I feel that the laws are already there and they are stronger than the IPCMC," he said last Saturday. The professionalism of the police force is being questioned again with the unacceptable increase number of deaths under police detention as well as the worrying rise in crime in the country, particularly in the Klang Valley.  There are already 9 deaths under detention in less than 6 months this year.  At the same time, various gangs armed with "parangs" or machetes are terrorising open air and public eateries as well as household with increasing frequency and audacity over the past few weeks.  The above has yet to include the unprofessional handling of peaceful assemblies over the past few years where even journalists are beaten to pulp, which was condemned even by the Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM). These incidences themselves proved that the EAIC has failed in its objectives to improve on the professionalism of our enforcement agencies.  This isn't at all surprising given that the replacement commission was designed to fail with not only a water-down powers, but also with limited funding of only RM7 million a year. At this moment, there is only one investigator is given the ridiculous task of investigating 19 enforcement agencies when this is already its 3rd year of operations.  Worse, it has been highlighted that the sole investigator was himself involved in the controversial death of Teoh Beng Hock under Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) which makes a complete mockery of the Government's sincerity and seriousness in tackling the above issues. In 2006, the Police had listed down their objections in a special bulletin, listing up to 10 reasons to reject the IPCMC.  They claimed that the IPCMC is "against national security and public order", "people will be the victims and the result will be a state of anarchy", "crime cases will be out of control", "the IPCMC is against the Federal Constitution, natural justice and the rule of law as it discriminates police personnel from ordinary citizens" and that the Act will "'soften' the police". What was shocking then was the threat by the Police that the IPCMC will "undermine the ruling coalition's power".  Senior police officers were quoted warning that "the police will vote for the opposition in the next general election due 2009" and that the "PDRM top brass will resign en bloc, policemen will refuse to work overtime and demand for an eight-hour five-day working week", should the IPCMC be established. The Police should not threaten another revolt over the set up of an IPCMC because clearly over the past 7 years, the situation on human rights abuses as well as crime in the country has not improved with any significance despite the ruling government's acquiesce to the Police. Instead the Police should support the set up of an IPCMC because the intent of the Commission is not to victimise the Police but to increase the professionalism of the Police force as well as to improve its effectiveness in carrying out its policing duties.  By supporting the IPCMC and weeding out the black sheep within the force while maintaining discipline within the force, the winners will be the Police themselves together with the rakyat.  What is more, if the Police is indeed professional and act above board as claimed, then surely there will be nothing to be fearful of the IPCMC. We call on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, to use his new "mandate" to table a new IPCMC bill in Parliament immediately in the upcoming sitting commencing on the 24th June 2013.  Such a bold move is not only consistent with his pledge to carry out his transformation programmes, but will immediately win additional support from the people for his regime.

Auxiliary police for developers, but not Pakatan? Posted: 16 Jun 2013 09:22 PM PDT Auxiliary police for developers, but not Pakatan? Koh Jun Lin 9:13PM Jun 16, 2013 Damansara Utama assemblyperson Yeo Bee Yin has questioned the police's move to approve auxiliary police forces for developers, claiming preferential treatment against Pakatan Rakyat administered states. Yesterday, The Star reported that developer SP Setia received its first batch of 120 auxiliary police personnel, which would be placed in its housing projects in Johor, Penang and the Klang Valley. "If SP Setia, Sunway and all these developers are able to hire auxiliary police, why not the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ)?" said Yeo (right) demanding the government to immediately approve the application. She said this at a press conference today with a group of Petaling Jaya restaurant owners, who were expressing concerns over robberies targeting them. She said that MBPJ had applied to the inspector-general of police to field its own auxiliary police force in 2009 but was turned down in the following year.  MBPJ applied again in 2012 and has yet to receive a response. The Subang Jaya City Council faces a similar predicament. Coffee shops in fear Meanwhile, she said, Johor Baru Municipal Council (MBJB) and Melaka Municipal Council (MBM) already have their auxiliary police force. "If MBJB and MBM, which are under BN states, can get their auxiliary police, why not MBPJ under Pakatan Rakyat? Are they prioritising their politics over the security of the people here?" she said. Meanwhile, Petaling Jaya MP Tony Pua said there is a higher police-population ratio in rural areas than in urban areas, whereas the reverse should be implemented because urban areas are inherently more prone to crime. He also pointed out that the 2005 royal commission of inquiry had recommended that 22,000 police officers should be reallocated from other tasks to crime-fighting duties, but this was never done. For the full article, please visit: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/233076 and/or http://fz.com/content/pj-shop-owners-concerned-over-spike-robberies

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