Don’t rush IPCMC Bill through Parliament, urges IGP

Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador says although he had initially supported the Bill, many ambiguities have since been raised by the force.

BANGKOK: Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador wants more time and room for engagement and discussion on issues raised on the Independent Police Complaints of Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) Bill 2019.

Some points raised on the proposed bill were not given “fair attention”, he said.

Hamid said the government should not rush to table the bill at the Dewan Rakyat.

This will allow the IPCMC parliamentary special select committee to engage stakeholders and listen to the points raised by the 130,000-strong Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).

“Initially, I welcomed IPCMC because I believed the bill was good for the country as it gives a more comprehensive approach in monitoring PDRM.

“But lately, I could see the efforts to rush the bill in Parliament despite so many ambiguities raised by PDRM itself that are not good.

“Let’s give some time for the bill to be refined and the parliamentary special select committee to address all issues raised.

“We want to see a good law which is fair to all — the government, citizens and PDRM — when it is passed by Parliament,” he told Bernama on the sidelines of the Asean +3 Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) here today.

The IPCMC Bill 2019 is expected to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat next week.

Yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Liew Vui Keong said the proposed changes had been presented to all MPs.

The parliamentary special select committee has recommended 36 changes to the original IPCMC Bill.

However, several groups, including the Senior Police Officers Association, have urged the government to postpone its plans to table the bill next week as the association’s views were not taken into account and no changes were made.

Hamid said he had written to the special select committee “weeks before” to raise his concern over the proposed bill.

He added that the concerns raised were “very fair”.

“All points are listed in the letter. It does not mean that they have to accept everything but at least they could explain matters to us.

“I hope they can come out with a good explanation about why certain points have been accepted and why others were not.

“I don’t want a law which is passed becoming a subject of contention in court later. That is my concern.

“I do not want the bill to be like (the Malay proverb) ‘rumah siap, pahat berbunyi’ (the house is ready but the noise of the chisel can still be heard),” he said. - FMT