KUALA LUMPUR :The Government is standing firm that the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) will not be set up.

This was because it already had the Malaysian Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC), according to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Senator Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan

“The IPCMC will not be set up. We will, however, bolster the EAIC.”

“We will make use of existing institutions and make them more effective.”

He added he was working on new appointments which had been delayed, but would be finalised.

Low said this in response to renewed calls by Ipoh Barat Member of Parliament and DAP national vice-chairman M. Kulasegaran for the IPCMC to be set up.

While lauding the Penang Government for setting up a state-level committee to monitor and address custodial deaths, Kulasegaran said the committee was set up after it received no response to its letters of enquiry.

He said the letters were sent a month ago to the Attorney-General, the police and Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam regarding custodial deaths.

“The Federal Government’s lack of seriousness and commitment to address custodial deaths is most disappointing, even irresponsible.

“The government must stop giving excuses and must set up the IPCMC immediately as recommended by the Royal Commission of Inquiry headed by Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah,” wrote Kulasegaran in a statement.

He referred to Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s statements in Parliament last July in which the Home Minister had revealed that the IPCMC proposal was rejected because it went against the Federal Constitution.

Kulasegaran said Dzaiddin, who chaired the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) which recommended the IPCMC, had immediately come out to assert that IPCMC was consistent with the Federal Constitution, referring to Article 140.

“Last year, then High Court judge V. T. Singham had in the Kugan verdict said the IPCMC should be set up as soon as possible because members of the public and family members of victims involved had little confidence in investigations carried out by the police.

“In June last year, Low had assured that the government was determined to stop all future tragedies behind bars.”

He added Low had claimed that the government was very concerned with the alarming statistics of custodial deaths and a process was needed to find a solution to stop them.

“So what has happened after Low’s assurance? More custodial deaths.

“I want to ask Low if he has forgotten his assurance and how many more custodial deaths must happen before the federal government decides to set up the IPCMC.

“Can he explain why the government is so afraid and reluctant to support the IPCMC when other countries like the United Kingdom and Australia have similar external oversight bodies?”

Resource : The Rakyat Post