Groups want MPs to reject IPCC and revive IPCMC instead

 

Several human rights groups have urged MPs to reject the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) bill that will be tabled in Parliament soon.

Amnesty International Malaysia, Article 19, Civicus: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, and Human Rights Watch said the bill further weakens the oversight mechanism in place for police conduct.

“Malaysia needs an independent oversight body that is truly independent and impartial from the state and the police, to avoid a conflict of interests.

“To be effective, the oversight body must possess real powers and responsibilities to investigate and take concrete action against police officers responsible for serious abuses,” the groups said in a joint statement today.

Therefore, they suggested parliamentarians instead focus on establishing an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), a bill that was introduced by the Pakatan Harapan administration but was replaced with the IPCC after the federal government changed hands.

“The IPCC bill fails to address widespread public concerns about police misconduct, ongoing misuse of power against government critics, and custodial deaths.

“If passed, the bill would not, as the government states, promote accountability, but rather shield police officers from scrutiny and independent oversight,” the groups said.

They argued that a better oversight body is needed as the country has a long history of police abuse, citing multiple custodial deaths just this year, including that of A Ganapathy.

Adding that allegations of corruption, abuse of power, and links to criminal elements are police misconducts that have also been raised in recent years, the groups said the IPCC is not a move towards police accountability but only further weakens the current system where the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) is in place.

Among the key concerns of the bill, the groups said the IPCC provides no powers of search and seizure during investigations, only having limited powers to compel documents, and there are no provisions of hearings.

They added that the IPCC will require investigators to submit a prior notice for site visits, giving limited investigation power to the commissioners, and highlighted the appointment process is unclear and lacks independence.

The idea of an independent police oversight body isn’t new, as the IPCMC was first proposed in 2005 as part of 125 recommendations made by the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysian Police.

“Yet, more than 16 years later, Malaysia seems to be moving ever further away from meaningful police reform,” the groups said. - Mkini