Ensure That Police Force Is Not Victimised By Ipcmc Says Ex Top Cop

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Former IGP Musa Hassan.PETALING JAYA: Former top cop Musa Hassan wants Putrajaya to make sure members of the police force are not victimised after the setting up of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC)
He expressed fear that an officer facing punishment under the oversight body may not be able to appeal in court
“This will be against the order of natural justice,” he told FMT
Musa, who was the inspector-general of police from 2006 to 2010, said the authorities, including new IGP Abdul Hamid Bador, should clear this and other issues before IPCMC is established
Yesterday, it was announced that the police have agreed with the Cabinet’s decision to set up the commission
The department overseeing police matters under the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) at present will be transformed into IPCMC
National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption (GIACC) director-general Abu Kassim Mohamed said there will be a technical discussion with the police on a few adjustments to the draft bill on the setting up of IPCMC
Feedback will also be sought from relevant agencies before the draft bill is presented to the Cabinet before or after Hari Raya Aidilfitri
However, N Surendran of Lawyers for Liberty said members of police force will not be victimised by the commission
“Parliament will not pass a law which sets up a body subjecting police to unfair proceedings
“In any event, if the provisions of IPCMC in any way compromise the basic rights of police personnel, its constitutionality can be challenged in court,” he said
Surendran said it is a relief the police have finally done the right thing and withdrawn their long-standing objections to the setting up of IPCMC
“The objections happened largely because the BN government was never actually keen to see the police force made accountable for their actions,” he said, adding that the attitude of BN “poisoned” the issue for many years
IPCMC was first mooted when Abdullah Badawi was prime minister between 2003 and 2009
However, it was shelved after opposition from the police and other parties
The public has been calling on the government to stop deaths in police custody, and improve sanitary conditions of the crowded prisons
Surendran said with the formation of IPCMC, victims of wrongdoing by police personnel will be able to get justice and seek redress from an impartial body. - FMT

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