Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Phil Robertson has launched a broadside against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin over the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) Bill 2020.
Expressing outrage over the matter on Twitter, he termed the bill, which is a watered-down version of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) Bill 2019, as a joke.
“Draft IPCC Bill in Malaysia Parliament guts any hope of rights respecting police reform and accountability. The draft... basically spits in the face of the royal commission set up to recommend reform.
“Muhyiddin (is) bending over backwards to secure PDRM (police) political support with total joke IPCC bill. Referring complaints back to the agency or to the police commission ensures more people will die in police detention. Shame!” Robertson said.
The Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police was set up during the tenure of former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Headed by former chief justice Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah, the commission recommended the creation of the IPCMC.
The debate on the IPCC Bill, which was slated to take place yesterday, has been postponed to the next Dewan Rakyat session.
The motion to postpone the debate was moved by Deputy Home Minister Ismail Mohamed Said, in line with the Standing Orders of the Dewan Rakyat.
Prior to this, Suhakam had urged MPs to scrutinise and improve the bill to ensure that it lives up to people's expectations.
The human rights commission is concerned that the bill does not capture the essence of the IPCMC Bill 2019 and the royal commission's recommendations.
“Suhakam is especially concerned with the lack of independence and weakened functions of the IPCC as it is not accorded with disciplinary powers to deal with police misconduct.
“The secretary of IPCC is to be appointed by the home affairs minister and the officers of IPCC may be appointed from any government agencies on a secondment basis to be its investigators.
"Moreover, the delegation of IPCC’s powers to any members of the police may also raise issues of conflict of interest in terms of the IPCC’s stated functions in the bill and its independence,” Suhakam added. - Mkini
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