Police officers who are named by witnesses in the Human Rights Commission's (Suhakam) inquiry will be called to testify, its chairman Anuar Zainal Abidin said today.
"We have to call them. They must tell their side of the story," former judge Anuar told reporters after the inquiry ended its session.
The three-member Suhakam panel is investigating alleged incidents of police brutality at a gathering at the Kesas highway on Nov 5.
Anuar warned that those who are summoned and fail to appear before the inquiry will be contravening the Human Rights Commission Act.
"It will be against the law if they refuse to present themselves at the inquiry after being ordered to do so," said Anuar.
Fourteen witnesses
He also said that police had nothing to lose by attending the inquiry.
"This is a case which involves the police and it would be to their advantage to know what had happened. This is the reason why they were invited in the first place," Anuar said.
Anuar added if the police had any questions for the witnesses, they could ask Suhakam's help to clarify matters. According to existing rules of the inquiry, witnesses can only be cross-examined by the inquiry panel members.
Anuar is being assisted in the inquiry by Simon Sipaun, chairperson of the Sabah Civil Service Commission, and Professor Mehrun Siraj, who is the former dean of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Law Faculty.
The inquiry has so far heard the testimonies of 14 witnesses and will resume on Jan 2 at the Suhakam headquarters in Menara Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.