The Bar Council has renewed calls to form the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

According to its president, Christopher Leong, the Bar Council reiterated its call to the government to establish the IPCMC, particularly in light of deaths in police custody which continue unabated.

"We will meet up with civil society organisations which would be interested in campaigning to revive the drive of establishment of the IPCMC and then from there, work out the approach of the civil society.

"This is something from the Bar Council to do with others, we also would like this campaign taken throughout Malaysia... so for that, the immediate next step is to sit down with the civil society and plan different modules for the campaign," he told Bernama after attending a forum here today.

Three panelists discussed the needs of estabilishing the needs the IPCMC at the forum entitled, 'Police Accountability in Malaysia'. The panelists included Leong, former Bar Council president Datuk Yeo Yang Poh and Human Rights Watch Asia deputy director, Phil Robertson.

The IPCMC is a police oversight body first proposed by the Royal Commission of Inquiry to improve the police force in 2005.

Last year, the local media had reported that Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar had stated that there was no need for the IPCMC to be established as the Enforcement Agencies Integrity Commission could handle issues relating to the integrity and discipline of the police.

Meanwhile in the same year, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the proposed setting up of the IPCMC was rejected by the government as it was not in line with the Federal Constitution and was against the concept of justice.

- Bernama