Set up IPCMC, it’s the only answer — Jaspal Singh

The brutal killing of N. Dharmendran in police custody is an outrage which cannot go unpunished. The pathologist has confirmed that Dharmendran was beaten to death. The case has been classified as murder. In due course it is hoped that his killer or killers will be charged with capital crime in court. But this is not enough!

We must ensure that such a cruel fate does not again befall any Malaysian citizen. Reports say that Dharmendran’s ears and legs were stapled while he was still alive. This is not just murder, the man had been tortured to death. What madman has committed these crimes? What darkness lies in the hearts of men!  They must be stopped!

The MIC is a part of the BN coalition that administers Malaysia. The home minister, responsible for the police, comes from our ranks. The 2,571 persons who died in custody between 1999 and 2009 (as announced by the Home Ministry) is an unacceptable number. Are our prisons becoming abattoirs? The Indian electorate particularly looks to the MIC to protect their interests. As part of the ruling coalition, we cannot dodge responsibility. Death in custody is an emotive issue. Keeping publicly silent on such issues is what cost the MIC to lose the Indian community support in the past two general elections.  How will the MIC bring the Indians back to the BN fold if their fellows are being brutally killed in prison cells?

Individuals like Paul Low would be well-advised to engage with the Indian community before meddling, well-intentioned or otherwise, in matters of this nature. Certainly his comment that an IPCMC was unnecessary is premature. The public especially the Indian community is angry and agitated about this issue.

P. Waythamoorthy, the loud but hollow leader of one of the many Hindraf splinter parties, has also decided to finally weigh in on the issue. He has called for the policemen involved to be suspended, rather than assigned to desk duties. That this would make no difference to the general public, who want to see arrests, appears lost on the poor fellow. It would indeed be a tragedy if the PM entrusted an “Indian Affairs” department to this slow-witted upstart.

Such incidents also cast a bad light on the entire police force even if there are only a few who are such sadistic bad hats. Yet each time such incidents happen, the police force closes ranks, and, perhaps despite itself, tries to protect the guilty. To the detriment of the entire force, while I salute their esprit de corps, they are misguided if they allow such emotions to result in law-breakers going free. The police cannot afford to have criminals in their ranks.  The police must have the trust of the public. One hundred thousand men in blue can never police 28 million people except if the people allow it. The people have accepted that they must cede some rights in return for protection. Yet this Hobbesian agreement may break down if the authorities are perceived to be abusing their powers. If it is normal for policemen to assault prisoners to elicit information from them, then such practices must cease. Dungeons and torturers have no place in a modern democracy.

Clearly CCTVs must be installed in all interrogation rooms. We heard this would be done after the infamous Kugan case. Years later, it remains a forlorn, forgotten item on some procrastinator’s to-do list. The recommendation for an IPCMC must be implemented immediately. It is clear that no party, law-enforcers or otherwise, can be expected to police themselves. The system breaks down, it is abused.  The existence of a system of checks and controls, enforced by an independent party, like the IPCMC, is the only answer to ending these brutal killings which so shame us. The people involved with the Dharmendran murder must be arrested and charged. Closing ranks is not an option.

I wish to extend my condolences to the family of Dharmendran.

* Senator Datuk Jaspal Singh is treasurer-general of the MIC.