The Police Watch and Human Rights Committee finally met with four members of the Royal Police Commission today where they submitted an additional report on abuses allegedly committed by the men in blue, after being ignored for over five months.

Even in a scheduled meeting at the commission's office at the Wisma Selangor Dredging in Kuala Lumour, members from the police watchdog and representatives from eight other NGOs had to negotiate for time to brief the commissioners on the report.

"The commissioners first said they did not have time for us. They just asked us to hand over the report. We negotiated for some time and with much hesitation, they allowed us 20 minutes but it went on to 45 minutes," group leader RN Rajah told reporters after the meeting.

He also blasted the attitude of the commissioners, saying that "the commission was set up to hear the public's grouses and they cannot be bargaining for time in relevant issues like this.

According to Rajah, the four commissioners present today were Zaki Tun Azmi (formerly with the home ministry), Kadir Jasin (former New Straits Times group editor), Kamilia Ibrahim (Muslim women council) and Ivy Josiah (WAO).

Police Watch's legal adviser P Uthayakumar who also attended the meeting said it was unfortunate that the commissioners have to be coerced to meet them.

"The fact is that we only managed this meeting after having to force the commissioners into it. In our letter for an appointment with the commission yesterday, we mentioned we would be left with no alternative but to contact the prime minister's office if our request was ignored," added Uthayakumar.

A copy of the letter dated Jan 19 to the commission, officially know as the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysian Police, was made available to malaysiakini .

Comprehensive report

The 153-page report, the second that the group has submitted to the commission in two years, presents findings of police abuse over the last two decades.

"The report, entitled Police Abuse in Malaysia (1992 to Dec 31 2004) - A General Overview, includes details on police corruption, police rape, police inefficiency and a host of other aspects," said Uthayakumar adding that the report has a total of 15 sections.

Police assault, mistreatment of juveniles, unlawful detention and police traffic abuses are also included in the report compiled after a group of law students, in 1990, expressed concern about the vast police abuse in the land.

"Our previous report, in 2004, included facts on deaths in police custody, police shootings and the Kampung Medan incident. This report encompasses everything else," Uthayakumar told reporters who were barred from the meeting by the commission.

Having had positive results from the first report, the body hopes - from the second report - that there will be an extensive revamp of the police force with proper checks and balance mechanisms put in place.

"There are recommendations in our previous report, such as the use of truncheons or stun-guns instead of firearms, which have been adopted.

"We're now suggesting things like an independent police investigating tribunal to investigate police crimes, an amendment to the law which gives police the authority to prosecute criminals and other proposals," the lawyer said.

Uthayakumar hoped that the commissioners would stick to their claims that the report will be added into the commission's final report to be submitted to the government early next month.

"The question is will they have time as their term expires next month," asked Uthayakumar.

The commissioners declined to meet the press after the meeting.