After 11 police custodial deaths reported in less than seven months, a DAP MP questioned why there is still a debate on the need to form an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

"The question that needs to be asked now is whether the Najib administration is so completely heartless as to see Malaysians die in custody, that no urgent and drastic actions need to be taken to remedy the situation," said Tony Pua in a press statement.

NONE The Petaling Jaya Utara MP was responding to the latest case involving Chew Siang Gap, 26, whose father found bruises when he identified the body at the Batu Gajah hospital.

According to reports, Chew was detained for 60 days at the Kangar district police headquarters and was sent to the Batu Gajah rehabilitation centre on July 12.

Police custodial deaths have been mounting with Parliament being told last month that from 2000 to mid-2013 there had already been 231 cases.

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi however argued in Parliament last week against the (IPCMC), calling it "unconstitutional".

He claimed that its duty would clash with existing Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC).

However, Pua noted that the EAIC has not investigated any of the deaths in police custody since its formation in 2011, perhaps due to the fact that the agency lacked staff and budget.

'EAIC not the solution'

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Razali Ibrahim told Parliament that the EAIC only has 27 officers and six investigators and has to oversee 19 agencies.

The government is bringing in 49 more staff with the same budget. He suggested an empowered EAIC rather than a new IPCMC set up.

Pua said that EAIC was handicapped as it has no prosecution powers, neither can it mete out punishment to errant policemen.

"The government is free to rename the IPCMC as the EAIC, and expand the commission to include as many agencies as it wants.  However, if the commission doesn’t have teeth, then it is certainly designed to fail," he said.

According to Pua, the IPCMC, which was first mooted in 2006, was essentially shelved due to police protest.