Before
a backdrop of 20 pictures and a litany of names of those recently
killed or injured in police custody or during chases, a group of
activists reignite the clarion call for the government to form the
Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to watch
over those who watch over us.
Some
are well-known, like political aide Teoh Beng Hock, car repossesser A
Kugan, teen Aminul Rasyid Amzah, and Customs officer Ahmad Sarbaini
Mohamed, while others are less known and more obscure, but all have felt
the steel-toed jackboots of law enforcers, and as the group claims, are
but the tip of the iceberg that have titanically sunk the trust of
Malaysians in the police.
The Stop State Violence Movement representing 42 non-governmental organisations stressed that the commission proposed by a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) on the police eight years ago must be formed soon, as more and more cases of alleged police violence and abuse of power surface.
"It’s easy, the IPCMC - we must have it now, for the police are having a field day. It boggles the mind.
"The people must be angry and hurt enough to rise up and demand for IPCMC now, as it can happen to any of us," urged elderly activist Annie Ooi, popularly known for her much publicised involvement in the Bersih pro-electoral reform rally.
'This is the time to push through the matter'
Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez, who was also present, added that now is the time to push through the matter, not only in view of escalating cases of alleged police misconduct but also the added momentum of using it as an election issue, to demand prompt action.
Asked about their next step, since many calls for the IPCMC to be set up have been met with deaf ears from the government, group spokesperson R Thevarajan from Suaram did not discount the possibility of holding demonstrations to push their point across.
Other representatives from Lawyers For Liberty, Komas centre for community communications and the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall echoed the same sentiments.
The group also reiterated their criticism of the ‘paper tiger’, the Enforcement Agencies’ Integrity Commission, which they stressed was a watered-down version of the IPCMC and could not hold the police accountable for their actions, since according to the admission of its own CEO, the body cannot prosecute but could only refer complaints to the originating enforcement body.
The IPCMC was recommended by a royal commission of inquiry on the police in 2005 to address mounting concerns over police accountability and abuse of power.
Some
are well-known, like political aide Teoh Beng Hock, car repossesser A
Kugan, teen Aminul Rasyid Amzah, and Customs officer Ahmad Sarbaini
Mohamed, while others are less known and more obscure, but all have felt
the steel-toed jackboots of law enforcers, and as the group claims, are
but the tip of the iceberg that have titanically sunk the trust of
Malaysians in the police.The Stop State Violence Movement representing 42 non-governmental organisations stressed that the commission proposed by a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) on the police eight years ago must be formed soon, as more and more cases of alleged police violence and abuse of power surface.
"It’s easy, the IPCMC - we must have it now, for the police are having a field day. It boggles the mind.
"The people must be angry and hurt enough to rise up and demand for IPCMC now, as it can happen to any of us," urged elderly activist Annie Ooi, popularly known for her much publicised involvement in the Bersih pro-electoral reform rally.
'This is the time to push through the matter'
Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez, who was also present, added that now is the time to push through the matter, not only in view of escalating cases of alleged police misconduct but also the added momentum of using it as an election issue, to demand prompt action.
Asked about their next step, since many calls for the IPCMC to be set up have been met with deaf ears from the government, group spokesperson R Thevarajan from Suaram did not discount the possibility of holding demonstrations to push their point across.
Other representatives from Lawyers For Liberty, Komas centre for community communications and the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall echoed the same sentiments.
The group also reiterated their criticism of the ‘paper tiger’, the Enforcement Agencies’ Integrity Commission, which they stressed was a watered-down version of the IPCMC and could not hold the police accountable for their actions, since according to the admission of its own CEO, the body cannot prosecute but could only refer complaints to the originating enforcement body.
The IPCMC was recommended by a royal commission of inquiry on the police in 2005 to address mounting concerns over police accountability and abuse of power.
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