Any alleged conflict of interest over inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar's links to a firearms company belonging to his daughter can be resolved with the setting up of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), the Bar Council said today.

Bar Council chairperson Steven Thiru said despite Khalid's denial of any conflict of interest in the matter that was first exposed by whistleblower website Sarawak Report, there are still serious concerns that must be addressed.

"A serious question arises as to whether the decision-making (in approving permits) is influenced or uninfluenced by that fact (the links)?" Thiru said in his keynote address at the Bar Council's roundtable discussion on greater police accountability in Kuala Lumpur.

The IGP's second daughter, Juwiza Khalid, and his brother-in-law Mohd Isa Hussin, run a firearms company called Nilai Arms and Ammunitions.

Thiru (photo) said the question was raised because licences to carry a firearm must be obtained from the state police chief, with exact details on where the firearm was purchased.

He also said this in reiterating the need to set up a dedicated oversight body for the police, a recommendation first made in a 2005 Royal Commission of Inquiry report into the police force.

Malay rights pressure group Perkasa had previously urged Khalid to explain if the firearms company linked to his daughter benefited from his position as inspector-general of police.

Khalid, in response, reportedly clarified that the firearms company belonging to his daughter obtained its business licence even before he helmed the police force.

He also revealed that he had barred his daughter from bidding for tenders linked to the government or police.

The Bar Council roundtable session today was the culmination of its nationwide tour to push for the setting-up of IPCMC, in reaction to the series of death in custody cases, since the recommendation was first made in 2005.

While the government had taken initial steps to set-up IPCMC, it later bowed to objections from the police and instead tabled a Bill to establish the Enforcement Agencies Integrity Commission.