Will anybody come for the Emergency Public Consultation on the Special Complaints Commission (SCC) Bill – the fake Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) Bill – at the Kuala Lumpur-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall auditorium tonight, December 17, 2007 at 7.30 pm?

Or will there be an empty hall?

Half of me was telling me that it was foolhardy to convene such a Public Consultation at such short notice, with only two days’ notice – and a weekend to boot –with minimal or non-existent mainstream media publicity and that one possibility is a virtual empty auditorium.

This will be grist in the mill of those who will claim that there is no public concern or support for IPCMC and that Malaysians are quite happy with SCC proposal.

The other half of me felt that there is no choice and the risks must be taken to convene a Public Consultation at such short notice because of the great importance to provide an opportunity for the public and civil society to express their views on the SCC Bill – not only because the IPCMC proposal is the most critical of the 125 recommendations of the Royal Police Commission for police reform to create an efficient, accountable, incorruptible, professional world-class police service but also because of the endemic crime which has haunted Malaysians and the country since publication of the Royal Police Commission Report 19 months ago.

Two-day notice falling during a weekend is not the only problem in making a success of the Emergency Public Consultation on the SCC Bill – it is also the end-of-the-year with many taking or preparing their year-end holidays.

I tried to phone Tun Musa Hitam to invite him to do the honours of opening the Public Consultation and found great difficulties in getting his contact number during the weekend, only to be told that he has just gone overseas and would not be back until next year.

Many members of the Royal Police Commission are either overseas or will be outstation and these include Datuk Dr. Michael Yeoh and Dr. Denis Jayasooria. Several others whom I have invited as panelists to the Public Consultation will be outstation and they include Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam and Yeo Yang Poh.

I have spoken to former Inspector-General of Police who was Deputy Chairman of the Royal Police Commission, Tun Hanif Omar, and Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, who have kept the possibility of their attendance open. I (and I believe Malaysians) hope to see them at the Public Consultation tonight.

I have not been able to contact all the Royal Police Commission members as I do not have their contact, like Tun Dzaiddin and Tun Salleh Abas.

You can give me their contact numbers, or invite them on behalf of Malaysians. There is an Open Invitation to all members of the Royal Commission and to all NGOs and NGIs, and I say: Come One Come All to give your views on the fake IPCMC Bill.

Lets see whether there is going to be an empty auditorium tonight.