YOURSAY | No one institution should 'police' itself

 

YOURSAY | ‘There is always a need for check and balance.’

COMMENT | Politicians will never reform the PDRM

17 years on, we're still haunted by the promise of an IPCMC

Rights groups: If IPCMC is a coconut, PN's version is the husk

Dr Raman Letchumanan: The police force seems to be the law unto themselves.

In any democracy, they are just another institution of governance, in this case a civil service though bestowed with tremendous power. That means they are subject to the Constitution and the laws enacted by the Parliament.

It is a well-accepted principle that no one institution should 'police' itself, and there is always a need for check and balance. Even the king does not have unfettered powers, as recent incidents have shown.

The impetus for the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) came about because of proven and unabated police misconduct, a recognition that the provisions on disciplinary action provided for in the Constitution are insufficient.

The recommendation was made by a royal commission of inquiry (RCI). After 17 years, nothing has come out of it, but we hear of even more misconduct, some exposed by the police itself.

I think there are two mutually collusive forces here - the police themselves not wanting to be accountable for their misconduct and the ruling government using the police to perpetuate their own misconduct.

The 1MDB is a classic case where the grand scale looting was covered up by the police and the MACC.

Moving forward, I don't see any resolution. Will the police on its part assure us it will self-police itself so that it is not self-serving, and not controlled by others?

And will we see a declining trend of corruption and abuses, which obviates the need for an IPCMC? Or will the ruling government not use it for their own devious means?

I see neither happening. Maybe someday the rakyat will wise up and say enough is enough. I don't see that happening in the near future either.

So, live and let live. Don't get into trouble, neither give an opportunity for trouble to visit you. Next time you see a police officer, salute and bow.

I wish for the days when our mata-mata were so well respected and gave us a true sense of security.

Appum: The fact is that the IPCMC has been properly studied and proposed by an RCI and that a top cop was the deputy chairperson of that RCI, so why is there so much opposition and haggling over its formation?

This shows that they do not respect a royally instituted institution and what it recommends can be ignored. Of course, the IPCMC may have missed a few issues, like not allowing the police to "represent" or be heard.

That could be remedied but not to the extent of throwing out the IPCMC completely. There’s no need to "bastardise" the original text, but allow some leeway for the police involved to be fairly treated.

As it is now, there are some rogue police officers who need to be eliminated for the sake of the force’s good name. If those rogue police officers don't feel "secure" with the IPCMC, then let them leave voluntarily or adjust to the norms the rakyat expect of them.

The IPCMC is not a small matter to the rakyat. Mind you, if the original IPCMC is not implemented before the next general election, this issue will be a hot potato in the political rallies to come. We do not accept any watered-down proposals since the RCI has done a good job on this matter.

Let go of the rogues and clean up the force. Let the force be a really excellent and respected one internationally. If Hong Kong and New York police force can do it, why can't we?

OrangePanther1466: I agree, the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) proposed by Perikatan Nasional (PN) government must be withdrawn in its current form. It's regressive and disregards the recommendations made by the RCI back in 2005.

The PDRM must toe the line and the entire leadership needs to accept that the force serves the rakyat and hence must be accountable to Parliament - the peoples' representatives.

Kim Quek: The IPCC is a hoax. It makes a fool of all Malaysians who have been longing in vain for meaningful reform of our police force for almost two decades since the completion of the original IPCMC for implementation in 2005.

If the Ismail Sabri Yaakob government pushes through the IPCC bill, it will stand as a hallmark of his government as a regressive regime and his aspirations for reforms as expressed in the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed with Pakatan Harapan are mere gimmicks to stabilise his wobbly premiership.

Muomuo: We can wait till the cows come home and there still won’t be an IPCMC. It’s all fine to get the ordinary guy to face the music for his misdeeds as the corrupt goons are ever ready to show their might. It all starts at the top.

Just look across the Causeway. If they can be so squeaky, why can’t we? And yet, we are ever ready to bash them.

MS: One of the first of many lies we need to expose is the “few black sheep” narrative, which is always trotted out by politicians and their police handlers each time the topic is broached.

The evidence to date, both anecdotal and revealed (as in the case of missing pastor Raymond Koh), proves that the entire organisation is riddled with various degrees and shades of criminality, leaving perhaps a handful of white sheep trying to earn an honest living in what is arguably a swamp which cannot be drained.

But the elephant in the room which never gets discussed is in fact, of race, which stands in the way of any scrutiny. Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s reluctance to act against the corrupt (supervised by his then home minister) when he had the chance is entirely due to that.

With almost the entire force and the regime it serves belonging to the same creed, doing anything to clean up would be akin to pulling an errant thread from a cheap sweater - the entire thing would unravel to expose the putrefying rot just below the surface.

So yes, no real reform is possible other than cosmetic ones to placate the gullible.  - Mkini