IPCMC: Police must have the right to appeal, says ex-IGP

The upcoming Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) must have provisions that guarantee the rights of the men in blue to seek a legal recourse if they are implicated in a wrongdoing, Mohammed Hanif Omar said today.

The former inspector-general of police said the lack of such detail could be one of the reasons why the police had objected to the setting up of the IPCMC when it was mooted by a Royal Commission, back in 2005.

"They (the IPCMC) should have enforcement power and should be tied up with the court as well. I think the police's objection was, while it has the enforcement power, there is no right to appeal. 

"There must always be a right to have (legal) recourse, and appeal to the court. Enforcement, here, means they can charge and investigate... if there's a conviction, the person should be able to appeal. 

"When other citizens got the rights, why shouldn't they (the police) have that right?" Hanif told reporters after a press conference in Istana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. 

Commenting on claims that the majority of the report to the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) was against the police, Hanif said this may be due to the police's extensive involvement with the public.

"The police are looking after the people from the cradle to the grave. Their involvement is extensive, that you get more people dissatisfied with the police," he said.

In September, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that IPCMC will be an independent body, which is more holistic.

It is learnt that the decision to convert the EAIC into IPCMC was taken after it was found that the bulk of public complaints lodged with the EAIC concerned police misconduct.

Earlier, Hanif, who is the president of the Malaysian Institute of Management, announced that the institute will launch the Dr Mahathir Mohamad Leadership Series on Dec 19.

The event is the first in a series of lectures that will bring together distinguished national and international personalities from the government, various industries, the education sector, as well as civil society, to share ideas and insights on global challenges and nation-building.

"Mahathir is very much hands-on. He was very much like (the former deputy prime minister) Tun Dr Ismail (Abdul Rahman). Very hands-on and very demanding. And I think he's got quality because of that and none of that 'tidak apa' (nonchalant) attitude," Hanif said during the press conference earlier.

Mahathir is expected to officiate and deliver the keynote address on the day of the event.  - Mkini