On the eve of Human Rights Day in December, a group of 30 NGOs plan to rally against the culture of brutality by government agencies that they say the authorities are not keen to tackle.

“We are here to remind Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Inspector-general of Police Ismail Omar, and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamed of the serious cases of police and MACC brutality in recent years, for which are still awaiting justice and answers.

“The family members of the deceased, survivors, their lawyers, supporters, civil society and the rakyat will not be deceived by the inaction or half-hearted actions of the authorities in these cases.

NONE “The authorities seem to hope that in time, the uproar and memory of these cases will simply fade away,” Tenaganita executive director Irene Fernandez said.

Irene ( seated right ) said this at a press conference today after the launch of the Stop State Violence rally that is to take place from 2pm on Dec 9 at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur.

Lawyers for Liberty representative Eric Paulsen highlighted some of the most notable cases, including 15-year-old Aminulrasyid Amzah’s death and A Kugan’s death in custody and whose court case coincided with today's press conference.

Paulsen also noted that no policeman has been convicted in other cases of deaths in custody and police shooting, except for the cases of Aminulrasyid and Kugan, and that only after massive protests and public outcry.

Seven demands to be presented

Other NGO representatives present, including Suaram and Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Masyarakat (Empower), also stressed how important it was to change “the culture of impunity” that led to these deaths, “or else, anyone of us could be next in line”.

They called on all Malaysians to attend the rally on Dec 9 to show solidarity. A memorandum containing seven demands will be handed over to the government after the rally.

A public forum will also be held on Nov 6 to give better awareness of the rally and its demands.

The seven demands are:

1. Bring all offenders in enforcement agencies to justice in accordance with the offences alleged without fear or favour.

2. Immediately establish the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) as an independent body to investigate complaints and to make police accountable for their conduct.

3. Institute an Ombudsman system that enforces human rights practice in all enforcement agencies and places of detention.

4. Review and make public police guidelines on discharge of firearms and detention and interrogation.

5. Support the setting up of an independent and competent Coroner’s Court system to replace the current Magistrate’s Inquest.

6. Support the enactment of an anti-torture legislation on punishment methods and redress mechanisms as per Malaysia’s obligations under international customary law.

7. Support human rights education and training programmes, with a view to changing the attitudes, perceptions and methods of law enforcement personnel.

VIDEO l 4.45 mins