Cops back IPCC, say it achieves ‘middle ground’ for force and public

 

Police say they welcome the government’s efforts to set up the IPCC, which aims to restore public trust in the force.

PETALING JAYA: Two police associations are backing the setting up of the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC), saying it can achieve “a middle-ground” when it comes to the interest of the force and the public.

The association of senior police officers and the association of police rank and file officers said they came to the decision after comparing the IPCC with the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission.

“We welcome the government’s efforts to set up the IPCC, which is aimed at restoring public trust in the police force,” they said in a joint statement today.

Last month, home minister Hamzah Zainudin said the IPCC Bill would be presented for a second reading during the current parliamentary sitting.

The bill was introduced in 2020 to replace the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) Bill that had been tabled in Parliament by the Pakatan Harapan government in 2019.

The decision to replace the bill was made by the Cabinet after the change in government in March 2020, with many calling the new bill a watered-down version of the IPCMC.

The IPCMC, meant to replace the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission as a means to improve transparency and accountability of the police force, was mooted in 2005.

Under the revised bill, the new police oversight body would be placed under the home ministry so that the minister would be able to monitor its progress.

The two police associations had previously rejected the IPCMC. - FMT