Will the police finally accept the establishment of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) if its grouse about not being allowed to appeal is addressed?

This was raised by DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang in response to Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar, who claimed yesterday that the police “never opposed the IPCMC” but were merely concerned about not being given an avenue to appeal decisions.

"Khalid should not think that Malaysians have short memories, so as to forget that it was the vehement, and even ferocious, opposition of the police leadership to the IPCMC.

“Even at one time, a police revolt was threatened, together with opportunistic Umno leaders at the time, who were responsible for the killing off of the IPCMC proposal.

"Is Khalid now saying that the police will support the IPCMC proposal if the force is given the right to appeal against any conviction?" Lim said in a statement today.

He said Malaysians fully agreed that the police should be entitled to the right of appeal against any conviction under any proposed IPCMC Bill.

Therefore, the Gelang Patah MP said, Khalid should propose this provision to Putrajaya so that the mooted commission could be revived.

"This is the only way to restore public confidence in the integrity and professionalism of the police and to eradicate police abuses and corruption," he said.

'Even custodial deaths cannot stop'

To date, Lim said ,the watered-down Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission, which lacks prosecution powers, has failed to stop the series of custodial deaths.

Neither has the special task force, formed by Khalid in June last year, been successful in arresting the deaths.

He added that the Court of Appeal, in its decision on the custodial death of A Kugan in August, had also called for "zero tolerance" in custodial deaths and recommended independent public inquiries be held for all such cases.

The Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysian Police, which was formed in 2004, made several recommendations for improvements to the police force, including the setting up of the IPCMC.

However, the proposed police watchdog body received fierce opposition from the police force, and then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was forced to make concessions resulting in the much watered-down EAIC.