Local government authorities should be included in the list of agencies under the supervision of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) to enable the public to lodge complaints on power abuse by their personnel with the commission.

This was said by Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) senior vice-chairperson Lee Lam Thye, who added that there had been many complaints about the lackadaisical attitude of local council officers over complaints lodged by the public.

“Hence, many more enforcement agencies should be included in the EAIC list to eradicate misappropriation at the grassroots level.

“We should not allow misappropriation in our enforcement agencies and members to spread that it becomes a culture in our society,” he said at the launch of the campaign, “Laporkan! Salah Laku Penguatkuasa’ (Report abuses by enforcers) in Kuala Lumpur today.

Meanwhile, at the press conference held after the launch, EAIC chairperson Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahim welcomed the proposal for local authorities to be included in the EAIC list, but expressed the need for the matter to be studied first as the local authorities came under the state government’s jurisdiction.

He said the EAIC had received 545 complaints of misappropriation by enforcement personnel from various departments in the country last year, from 470 in 2016.

This number includes 440 involving the police, Immigration Department (20), Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (17), and the Road Transport Department (13).

- Bernama