Hanif says five is enough

The Bersih 3.0 panel's investigative chief sees no problem in the group's reduced size, though it is not up to him to appoint more members.

PETALING JAYA: Bersih 3.0 investigative panel chairman Hanif Omar has no problem with his group’s reduced size, even if he has no say in appointing more members.

Speaking to FMT, the former Inspector-General of Police commended his four colleagues on the panel, adding that there was no need to bring in more manpower.

“It’s not up to me [to appoint new members]. I’ve got nothing to do with the appointment…[But] I’m quite happy with those who are on board. The four of them are very independent-minded and speak their mind,” he said.

He said that it was up to the Home Ministry, which set up the panel, to appoint more members.

Hanif, however, did not seem keen on seeing more people coming in at this stage, saying the panel’s work was already underway.

Also, he saw the panel as an “alternative option” to the judiciary, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and the press over concerns related to the Bersih 3.0 rally.

In May, the Home Ministry formed the independent panel designed to probe the chaotic events at the Bersih 3.0 rally following claims of police brutality.

Appointing Hanif as chairman, five others were called to be a part of the panel. Since then, two – former Borneo chief judge Steve Shim and Petronas corporate affairs senior general manager Medan Abdullah – have dropped out.

The federal government has since appointed former Federal Court Judge Nik Hashim Nik Ab Rahman to fill in one vacancy.