Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s reiteration that the government still has no plans of forming an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) is the strongest proof of continuing lack of political will to eradicate police abuses and corruption.
Malaysians will remember that it was Hishammuddin when he was Umno Youth leader who led the opposition to the establishment of the IPCMC more than five years ago when it was proposed by the Dzaiddin Royal Police Commission as the most important of its 125 recommendations to create an efficient, incorruptible, professional and world-class police force, going even against the then Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who had publicly committed himself to accept and implement the IPCMC recommendation.
It was the combination of political opposition from Umno and police opposition led by the police leadership at the time which forced Abdullah to backtrack and finally scuttled the IPCMC proposal.
The spate of high-profile cases of police abuse and custodial deaths in the past few years, whether A. Kugan, 14-year-old student Aminurasyhid Amzah, framemaker Chia Buang Hing and pregnant store owner Chow Soo Meng, as well as human rights abuses by the police as in the weekend mass arrests of 59 Hindraf marchers protesting the controversial use of Interlok as school textbook have again highlighted the need for an IPCMC where public complaints of police abuses could be seen to be addressed with full seriousness, authority, independence, impartiality and professionalism.
The Dzaiddin Police Royal Commission’s recommendations, including those for increased allowances, improved emoluments and upgrading of posts have largely been implemented except for the most important one going to the root of public confidence in the efficiency, integrity and professionalism of the police force – an IPCMC to demonstrate that the police will never be a law unto itself but is equally to account to the public for abuses and misuses of power.
With the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s “People First, Performance Now” slogan, Hishammuddin as Home Minister should table a formal proposal to ask the Cabinet to revisit the Dzaiddin Police Royal Commission’s IPCMC recommendation instead of continuing to spearhead opposition to IPCMC.
#1 by k1980 on Thursday, 17 February 2011 - 1:39 pm
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/dr-m-police-stopped-me-from-scrapping-isa/
The Gestapo also stopped Hitler from freeing the Jews
#2 by k1980 on Thursday, 17 February 2011 - 1:46 pm
1. Police also stopped da mamak from abolishing the nep
2. Police also tried to stop him from resigning after 22 years as pm
3. Police also tried to prevent him from implementing the teaching of science and maths in english
4. Police also stopped him from invading singapore and brunei.
5. Police also stopped him from taking a 2nd wife
6. Police also stopped saifool from seducing him.
7. Police also stopped Anwar from sodding him.
8. You name it, the police stopped it
#3 by HJ Angus on Thursday, 17 February 2011 - 1:54 pm
good ones, k1980
Now will the former IGP also confirm that? Wonder if TDM is practising to tll us the mother of all whoppers on April Fool’s Day?
#4 by k1980 on Thursday, 17 February 2011 - 2:02 pm
9. The police also stopped him when he tried to save Kogan from being bashed up in prison.
10. The police also stopped him when he tried to prevent TBH from falling out of the macc window.
11. The police also stopped him when he tried to stop them from shooting Aminulrashid.
12. The police also stopped him when he tried to prevent the Americans from nuking Japan in 1945.
13. The police also stopped him when he tried to prevent the Germans from invading Poland in 1939.
14. The police also stopped him when he tried to save the underaged girl from the melaka thambi.
#5 by undertaker888 on Thursday, 17 February 2011 - 3:18 pm
the police is under the kingpin hussein. why would he want it to be independent? too much cash at risk here. no income for him.
the only mentality they have is the bully mentality to keep the people subservient. do you think it will last? look at egypt, tunisia and soon yemen. those goons scoot when the people revolt. the police is also no where to be seen.
enjoy your bullying. one day, our boots will be at your butts.
#6 by Jamesy on Thursday, 17 February 2011 - 3:37 pm
15. The police also stop Mahathir and Anwar from abolishing the ISA.
——————————
Dr M, Anwar wanted to scrap ISA, says ex-IGP. – By Adib Zalkapli
February 17, 2011.
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 — Former Inspector-General of Police Tun Hanif Omar claimed today that he had stopped Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his former deputy, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, from abolishing the ISA.
Hanif, who served as the police chief for 20 years until 1994, said the issue was first raised by Anwar at a security briefing prior to his retirement from the service.
“Anwar said we should abolish ISA, Dr Mahathir said OK,” recounted Hanif at a forum on Parliamentary democracy here.
He said he later urged the two leaders to reconsider their plans, and suggested they merely review the security law.
Hanif also claimed that Dr Mahathir had been consistent in his opposition to the ISA.
“When he became the prime minister, Musa Hitam told me ‘don’t invoke the ISA, Dr Mahathir will not like it’,” said Hanif referring to the former deputy prime minister and home minister in the 1980s.
A total of 106 politicians and activists were detained under the ISA in 1987 when Dr Mahathir was prime minister. His government later removed judicial review from the ISA in 1989.
Hanif recently sought to exculpate Dr Mahathir over the crackdown, saying it was done to avoid a racial riot in Kuala Lumpur.
“I gave the briefing together with Tan Sri Rahim Noor,” said Hanif. Rahim was then the director of the Special Branch.
“The Special Branch was of the opinion that the situation was going out of control. If we did not take action, something more serious than May 13, 1969 would have taken place,” he added.
Hanif said the police proceeded with the crackdown despite opposition from Dr Mahathir, and added that it was his responsibility as the head of the police to uphold the law.
“As a police officer I am answerable to the minister. But my loyalty is not to the minister but to the law,” said Hanif.
Events of the 1987 Ops Lalang crackdown were dredged up recently when Dr Mahathir was quoted in a new book by American journalist Tom Plate as saying that he had met all opposition members before the operation and had assured them that they would not be arrested.
Dr Mahathir also insisted that he had not thought it necessary to arrest the opposition leaders but had no choice but to accept that the police believed otherwise.
#7 by tak tahan on Thursday, 17 February 2011 - 4:03 pm
The only thing police can’t be able to do is to shut this spin doctor’s mouth.This mamak has been lying since the day he was unfortunately born;lying to parents,brothers and sisters;lying to schoolmates,teachers and principal and subsequently became master of liar to the whole country.
#8 by tak tahan on Thursday, 17 February 2011 - 4:16 pm
Home minister got other better interest to serve him so no way to IPCMC.
http://malaysiansmustknowthetruth.blogspot.com/2011/02/warlords-and-de-facto-igp.html
#9 by DAP man on Thursday, 17 February 2011 - 4:18 pm
Mahathir is admitting that the police controls the government.
Or the BN fears the police and does not dare offend it with IPCMC.
#10 by Loh on Thursday, 17 February 2011 - 4:59 pm
The PR manifesto for GE 13 should include the setting up of IPCMC.
Hishamuddin will not want IPCMC for the same reason he objected it in the first place. If history has to repeat, that it ends with Najib. Hishamuddin is worse.
#11 by yhsiew on Thursday, 17 February 2011 - 6:44 pm
///Refusal to set up IPCMC the strongest proof of continuing lack of political will to eradicate police abuses and corruption///
The refusal by the government to set up IPCMC is not due to lack of political will. The government knows full well that once it gets the IPCMC set up, it cannot simply send police to round up people who take part in a protest or ceramah. Should the police use force against the protesters after the IPCMC is set up, the protesters will complain to the IPCMC for police misconduct and brutality. In other words, the government will lose its upper-hand in its dealing with the opposition if it sets up the IPCMC.
#12 by Loh on Thursday, 17 February 2011 - 7:28 pm
///Hanif said the police proceeded with the crackdown despite opposition from Dr Mahathir, and added that it was his responsibility as the head of the police to uphold the law.///–
But Hanif should know that May 13 started by UMNO, and the 1987 demonstration got hot because of Najib. If Hanif had really intended to stop the potential trouble, and to defuse the situation, he should have first taken Najib into custody, until the situation cooled down. Would hanif honestly say that the opposition parties, particularly DAP would want to stir up riots in the country? It was UMNO which had the intention and the ability to do so. With ISA, Hanif utilized it to gain favours from Mamakthir who certainly did not promised the opposition leaders like what he said. So Hanif did Mamakthir a favour arresting opposition leaders which helped Mamakthir’s position in UMNP party election and now owning up the event. Yet, did he ask Mamakthir whether Najib should also be arrested, or did he bow to Mamakthir’s demand to spare Najib?
#13 by -e- on Thursday, 17 February 2011 - 7:55 pm
who will take over the country when bn loses the next ge? not the opposition and no the speaker of the parliament.
mm had hinted, only those who waste time arguing who were in a meeting 20+ years ago and who is changing history.
#14 by sheriff singh on Thursday, 17 February 2011 - 7:56 pm
Look at it in the wider context. Mahathir says he dutifully follows police advice as they know best. Besides, the police has guns, he said.
As PM for 22 years, he followed police advice all the time. They are the law. PM is only a yes man. That’s why the police today is a spoilt institution. They can practically do or not do what they like.
They don’t like IPCMC so this is a dead issue.
#15 by Taxidriver on Thursday, 17 February 2011 - 11:26 pm
Dare UNMOB offend PDRM? Dare PDRM offend UNMOB? When you are passengers on the same ship, there is no other option but to work together to keep the ship afloat.
UNMOB leaders and PDRM keep assuring and pledging loyalty to each other. UNMOB leaders will remind PDRM saying “Gua salah lu mai kong” PDRM will respond: “Gua mai kong lu salah”
#16 by monsterball on Friday, 18 February 2011 - 12:00 am
If you want to listen to Hishamuddin…you are nuts.
He is powerless…balless….shameless….with low IQ and full of sheeeet.
Only UMNO B can appoint such a minister and keep the party true to bloodlines and successions…more than qualifications.
Another group is Yes Men…focusing how to get votes…not voted in to serve the people. It is always serving the UMNO B party.
Hishamuddin talks where the wind blows…and the wind always changes directions or moods..and so is he…keep focusing how to keep his position amongst the gang of thieves and robbers.
Being left out from the group…he will pee from his pants..with sleepless nights.