Inundated with public complaints against insensitive police treatment, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) said before long, policemen in the country will be required to undergo training which will incorporate education in human rights values.

Suhakam commissioner Prof Hamdan Adnan said the commission has taken steps to work with the police to develop an appropriate human rights training module for new recruits.

Human Rights Desk

In future, Hamdan said, police training curriculum would include a human rights module based o­n principles provided under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"We have already produced (a module) with the assistance of a professor from Universiti Tekonologi Mara who is an expert in constitutional law. We are going to test this module with police training instructors," he told malaysiakini recently.

According to the commissioner, the first introduction of the module will take place during a two-day workshop for police trainers scheduled to take place from June 23-25.

"About 50 instructors will attend the workshop. It is definitely going through but the o­nly thing now is (to finalise) o­n what type. We want this special module to be integrated into police training," he added.

Responding to a suggestion by DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang for the police to set up a Human Rights Police Unit, Hamdan said the police have already established a Human Rights Desk based at the Bukit Aman police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

"The Human Rights Special Desk has been set up. They have also been working with Suhakam," the commissioner said.

On Wednesday, Lim urged Inspector General of Police Norian Mai (photo) to set up the special unit to address several "shortcomings" of the police force, including the "insensitivity, disregard and violation of human rights" by some personnel.

Unfulfilled promises?

Asked to comment o­n repeated complaints by Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia (Prim) over the authorities' apparent failure to investigate the Kampung Medan incident, Hamdan said Suhakam did not have any reason to doubt that investigations have been carried out by the police.

"We have sent out people as well to investigate the matter. o­ne reason for the conflict was the lack of social development in the area," he said.

The incident, better known as the Kampung Medan tragedy, left six people dead and scores others injured o­n March 8 and 23, 2001.

Hamdan acknowledged, however, that much more work has to be done to ensure that such incidents do not occur again.

"We are shorthanded now but we know that we need to send more officers over to the area to see if promises made by the government to help residents there are fulfilled," he said.

Among others, he said these included promises made by National Unity and Social Development Minister Dr Siti Zaharah Sulaiman and MIC President S Samy Vellu.