Mp Renews Call For Ipcmc After Cops Bar Mps From Parliament

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Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran renewed calls for an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) after police yesterday barred MPs from entering Parliament.
Kulasegaran said he lodged a police report over the incident but cannot expect the police to be investigating themselves.
"Although I have lodged a police report, it would be prudent, reasonable, and fair if the police are not tasked to investigate this case.
"The allegations of wrongdoing are levelled against the police thus they can’t be tasked to investigate their own abuses and mistakes.
"Surely they cannot be the judge, jury, and prosecutor in this matter," he said in a statement.
Kulasegaran said this showed why an IPCMC is important.
"Issues of conflict and self-interest can be arrested. An IPCMC will also install a high level of confidence in the police force and bring about more independent and transparent investigations," he said.
In the meantime, he suggested that an independent commission investigate the incident yesterday and report back to Parliament through a White Paper.
Opposition MPs yesterday tried to enter Parliament even though the government suspended the Dewan Rakyat sitting on grounds of Covid-19.
Police deployed hundreds of personnel to block the entrances to Parliament.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Azmi Abu Kassim later claimed police did not have a problem with MPs entering Parliament and was instead trying to stop an "illegal" gathering.
Obstructing an MP, including from entering Parliament, is an offence.

Section 124 of the Penal Code makes it a crime to obstruct an MP's duty, which carries a punishment of up to seven years imprisonment and a fine.

Section 9(e) of the House of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952 also allows Parliament to punish anyone who obstructs MPs from entering the House with contempt of Parliament.
Kulasegaran questioned why Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Azizan Harun had yet to weigh in on the incident.
"The fracas was shameful as Parliament had not been prorogued, which means we are entitled to go to Parliament and attend to any matters we want to.
"Clearly these instructions came from someone with a position of power," he said.
The government said Parliament had to be suspended again due to Covid-19 cases but critics claim it was another attempt to obstruct the House amid the government's uncertain majority.
Parliament had been suspended since Jan 11 under a state of emergency and a special sitting was only convened on July 26 after pressure from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
It only sat for four days before being suspended again, this time over Covid-19 cases found during the sitting. - Mkini

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