Inspector-General of Police Mohd Bakri Omar has been accused of 'insubordination' for his rejection of the proposed Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang also took him to task for providing two different versions on the controversial issue.

In a statement yesterday, he said Bakri omitted references to the IPCMC during his speech at the 199th Police Day celebrations in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday in the presence of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

However, his prepared speech, sent to all state police headquarters, had a different version.

This version said the government, after being informed of the police's opposition, 'instructed the attorney-general (AG) to study and consider the best alternative to the IPCMC'.

Lim described this as a 'very thinly-veiled attempt to arm-twist the prime minister to accept a fait accompli - the opposition (to IPCMC) of the police, Umno Youth and Umno MPs'.

'Act of defiance'

Bakri's version, he said, was also news since the premier's version was different.

Previously, Abdullah said the cabinet committee, which is chaired by him, on the implementation of the royal police commission recommendations has decided in principle on Jan 24 to set up the IPCMC and the AG had been tasked to look into this.

In view of this, Lim said: "The IGP acted in a most unprofessional and irresponsible manner in giving an untruthful version to all police contingents that the government had agreed not to set up the IPCMC."

He also asked who was the policy-making authority in the country - the prime minister and the cabinet or the police chief?

He termed Bakri's opposition to the IPCMC as an act of 'open defiance and insubordination' of the prime minister and the cabinet to set the policy direction for the police.

MPs 'influenced'

Lim said Bakri's new version cannot be allowed to stand unchallenged or uncontradicted.

"... Especially when Umno MPs were improperly influenced by the police to disregard national interest of having a clean, incorruptible and human rights sensitive force by declaring their opposition to the IPCMC," he added

The IPCMC was among the 125 recommendations made by the royal commission tasked to investigate police abuses and provide suggestions on how to improve the police force.

The IPCMC is arguably the most powerful watchdog ever proposed in Malaysia. Unlike existing agencies, it reports not to the prime minister but directly to Parliament, which ensures its investigations are made public.

The IPCMC proposal had been lauded by numerous non-governmental organisations and the opposition.