The home minister says the government decided against the IPCMC as it 'overlaps' with the MACC and runs contrary to the Extra Territorial Offences Act 1973.
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has set up the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) in line with the proposal made under the royal commission to enhance the police force’s integrity in 2005, said Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today.
He said this in response to PKR Johari Abdul’s question on why the government was reluctant to set up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), a proposal which came out of the same RCI.
“Isn’t it a more effective authority to investigate custodial deaths? Besides, deaths in custody is not something news.
“Even our Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was beaten up in 1998 by none other than the then Inspector General of Police (Rahim Noor),” said Johari.
Zahid, on the other hand, said that the EAIC was a better solution to investigate misconduct by the police or any other enforcement agency as the IPCMC had some”overlapping” power with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
He added the IPCMC also runs contrary to the Extra Territorial Offences Act 1973. Zahid, however, did not explain what are the contradictions.
“And IPCMC will have the power to prosecute someone for an offence done before the body was set up. That provision runs contrary to Article 7 of the Federal Constitution which disallows it,” said the Bagan Datoh MP.
In the past five months, eight people have died in custody throughout the country, raising public anger against the police.
On May 21, Indah Water employee N Dhamendran, 32, was found dead at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters after he went there to lodge a police report.
Although the police claimed that Dhamendran died due to an asthma attack, post mortem report revealed that he was beaten to death due to the presence of multiple injuries on his body.
On June 1, security guard P Karunanithi was found dead at the Tampin police headquarters. The post mortem report revealed 49 bruises on Karunanithi’s remains.
231 custodial deaths in 3 years
On related matter, Zahid said that between 2000 and May 2013, 231 people have died while in custody.
But he said only two of them died due to police brutality, while a majority of them, or 196, died due to various types of illnesses.
“29 of them committed suicide, two due to fights among themselves and another two died after slipping on the lock up floor,” he said.
At this juncture, PAS MP Mahfuz Omar stood up and said that many could have committed suicide due to harsh police interrogation method.
Responding to that, Zahid said, “Rest assured that I will not compromise with any officers who breach the standard operating procedure and any other lock up laws.
- See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/06/26/zahid-eaic-is-answer-for-custodial-deaths/#sthash.ztUk8wQi.dpuf
KUALA LUMPUR: The government has set up the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) in line with the proposal made under the royal commission to enhance the police force’s integrity in 2005, said Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today.He said this in response to PKR Johari Abdul’s question on why the government was reluctant to set up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), a proposal which came out of the same RCI.
“Isn’t it a more effective authority to investigate custodial deaths? Besides, deaths in custody is not something news.
“Even our Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was beaten up in 1998 by none other than the then Inspector General of Police (Rahim Noor),” said Johari.
Zahid, on the other hand, said that the EAIC was a better solution to investigate misconduct by the police or any other enforcement agency as the IPCMC had some”overlapping” power with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
He added the IPCMC also runs contrary to the Extra Territorial Offences Act 1973. Zahid, however, did not explain what are the contradictions.
“And IPCMC will have the power to prosecute someone for an offence done before the body was set up. That provision runs contrary to Article 7 of the Federal Constitution which disallows it,” said the Bagan Datoh MP.
In the past five months, eight people have died in custody throughout the country, raising public anger against the police.
On May 21, Indah Water employee N Dhamendran, 32, was found dead at the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters after he went there to lodge a police report.
Although the police claimed that Dhamendran died due to an asthma attack, post mortem report revealed that he was beaten to death due to the presence of multiple injuries on his body.
On June 1, security guard P Karunanithi was found dead at the Tampin police headquarters. The post mortem report revealed 49 bruises on Karunanithi’s remains.
231 custodial deaths in 3 years
On related matter, Zahid said that between 2000 and May 2013, 231 people have died while in custody.
But he said only two of them died due to police brutality, while a majority of them, or 196, died due to various types of illnesses.
“29 of them committed suicide, two due to fights among themselves and another two died after slipping on the lock up floor,” he said.
At this juncture, PAS MP Mahfuz Omar stood up and said that many could have committed suicide due to harsh police interrogation method.
Responding to that, Zahid said, “Rest assured that I will not compromise with any officers who breach the standard operating procedure and any other lock up laws.
- See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/06/26/zahid-eaic-is-answer-for-custodial-deaths/#sthash.ztUk8wQi.dpuf
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