Comments on: 10 recommendations of Royal Police Commission, like IPCMC, disappeared into a “black hole”? http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2007/03/28/10-recommendations-of-royal-police-commission-like-ipcmc-disappeared-into-a-black-hole/ for Malaysia Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:40:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: DarkHorse http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2007/03/28/10-recommendations-of-royal-police-commission-like-ipcmc-disappeared-into-a-black-hole/#comment-5047 DarkHorse Sat, 31 Mar 2007 01:42:31 +0000 http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2007/03/28/10-recommendations-of-royal-police-commission-like-ipcmc-disappeared-into-a-black-hole/#comment-5047 Why must it always be 'black'?? Why must it always be ‘black’??

]]> By: undergrad2 http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2007/03/28/10-recommendations-of-royal-police-commission-like-ipcmc-disappeared-into-a-black-hole/#comment-4417 undergrad2 Thu, 29 Mar 2007 11:15:13 +0000 http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2007/03/28/10-recommendations-of-royal-police-commission-like-ipcmc-disappeared-into-a-black-hole/#comment-4417 Whenever you are stopped anywhere in the world, in any country anywhere in the world, by a police officer or anybody in charge of enforcement ( who could be the guy manning the reception desk in an office building somewhere etc) who asks you for your ID the onus is always on you to prove your identity – and not the other way round. The police does not have to show you anything when in uniform. Now, proving your identity can be done in more ways than one - usually a show of your driving license (DL) or an identity document for those too young to drive (ID) issued by a local authority, usually the local motor vehicle agency. In Malaysia, you are required by law to carry an identity document popularly referred to as the IC or short for identity card. No other proof is acceptable. Failure to show your IC gives the enforcement authority, if he is a police officer, to detain you until you do. The authority to detain is discretionary depending on why he is asking you to show proof of your identity. If the circumstances under which he is asking you to show your IC is suspicious he has the right to have you detained. So this girl in Klang who was detained in the police lockup for her refusal to show her IC seems to be a victim of her own doing. If she did not carry her IC which is required by law, she still could call for somebody to bring her IC to her while under temporary detention. The United States recently could be said to be following countries like Malaysia whose law requires you to have proof of your identity when asked, and has introduced laws like the REAL ID Act after 9/11. It has introduced laws similar to Malaysia’s ISA. The U.S. wants to learn from us. On the other hand, Malaysia could learn a thing or two from the U.S. For example, traffic offenders or anybody acting to obstruct the course of justice which could mean merely refusing to comply with instructions, who refuses to cooperate should be handcuffed and brought to the police station. What is the big deal with that? Whenever you are stopped anywhere in the world, in any country anywhere in the world, by a police officer or anybody in charge of enforcement ( who could be the guy manning the reception desk in an office building somewhere etc) who asks you for your ID the onus is always on you to prove your identity – and not the other way round. The police does not have to show you anything when in uniform.

Now, proving your identity can be done in more ways than one - usually a show of your driving license (DL) or an identity document for those too young to drive (ID) issued by a local authority, usually the local motor vehicle agency.

In Malaysia, you are required by law to carry an identity document popularly referred to as the IC or short for identity card. No other proof is acceptable. Failure to show your IC gives the enforcement authority, if he is a police officer, to detain you until you do. The authority to detain is discretionary depending on why he is asking you to show proof of your identity. If the circumstances under which he is asking you to show your IC is suspicious he has the right to have you detained.

So this girl in Klang who was detained in the police lockup for her refusal to show her IC seems to be a victim of her own doing. If she did not carry her IC which is required by law, she still could call for somebody to bring her IC to her while under temporary detention.

The United States recently could be said to be following countries like Malaysia whose law requires you to have proof of your identity when asked, and has introduced laws like the REAL ID Act after 9/11. It has introduced laws similar to Malaysia’s ISA.

The U.S. wants to learn from us.

On the other hand, Malaysia could learn a thing or two from the U.S. For example, traffic offenders or anybody acting to obstruct the course of justice which could mean merely refusing to comply with instructions, who refuses to cooperate should be handcuffed and brought to the police station. What is the big deal with that?

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