YOURSAY | ‘This is not a question of 153,000 retired personnel objecting; it is about transparency and ethics.'

Police object to having IPCMC oversee disciplinary cases

Brave Malaysian: It’s natural for the police to oppose the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission, or IPCMC. But the right things must be done, and that means forming the IPCMC to check on the abuses of some errant members of the police.

Look at the cases of disappeared people and deaths in custody. The police are unable or unwilling (naturally) to take actions against their own kind. It’s best left to an independent body.

This is not for the police to choose; the rakyat have spoken at the 14th general election. The police just have to act in accordance with the law. They enforce the law and they must be the first to follow it, to the letter.

Monty: Inspector-General of Police Mohamad Fuzi Harun, you should know that most police forces in the world have an independent and neutral body to oversee the police force. Just as the prime minister and cabinet have the Parliament to oversee their activities. This is nothing to be afraid or ashamed of.

Besides particularly in Malaysia, we have too many issues involving the police which are not resolved transparently. Take the case of the kidnapping of Pastor Raymond Koh. We have credible information that he was detained by some branch of the police force.

So please tell us what does your investigations reveal to date? Where is he and who is holding him?

The Ant: The more the police reject IPCMC, the more IPCMC should be formed to look into the many complaints through the years.

Former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi failed after being threatened and his successor Najib Abdul Razak was just too happy that the police were in his palm.

To establish the rule of law for Malaysia Baru, “bersih, cekap dan amanah” must start with law enforcers and their agencies.

Ravinder: Who is running the country - the police or the government? When the government feels that there is a need for the IPCMC to ensure discipline in the police force, who are the police to tell the government not to have the IPCMC?

Why? If the police are clean, it should welcome the IPCMC with open arms and hearts. The government must not bow to the demands of the police not to have the IPCMC.

What have they got to hide? Why shouldn’t they be held accountable for their acts and omissions?

The government must be firm and subject the police to scrutiny by the IPCMC. It is for the good of the country.

Why is the police top brass not willing to subject the wayward officers to scrutiny to keep the police force free of black sheep?

The IPCMC will be seeing to it that the police force is trusted and respected by the public. What's wrong with that?

The top brass is wrong in trying to protect its officers from being answerable for their acts and omissions. By telling the government not to have the IPCMC, it is tantamount to saying that the police are a law unto itself and it does not need to be policed by the IPCMC.

The government has a duty to the rakyat to have a clean and efficient police force, and the IPCMC is badly needed to ensure this.

Anonymous_1527925538: I think it is good suggestion to have police represented in the IPCMC because there may be certain aspects of the policing job not easily understood by the common man and thus it’s good to hear views from the police perspective as well.

Also, the right to appeal is consistent with the administration of justice

Constitutional Supremacy: Fuzi, earlier you and the police department had agreed to have IPCMC.

But now you are against it and claim the top police brass at an emergency meeting had agreed to reject it. Only you could have called the emergency meeting.

Why an emergency meeting just a day before your retirement? It appears to be an attempt to sabotage the incoming IGP.

In view of the above, the government may have to remove or transfer out those top police brass who attended the meeting.

Jinhua: I pray the new IGP will set a new benchmark, which won't be difficult considering the level that has been delivered before.

Vijay47: Boy Scouts, criminals, saints, taxi drivers, crooks, even members of Umno are all welcome to offer their comments and criticisms on the IPCMC. That is, everybody except the senior members of the police department itself.

It is the height of cheek and arrogance for Fuzi to dare demand that the supervisory agency should not oversee police disciplinary cases. Pray, tell me, Fuzi, what exactly is the IPCMC then supposed to look into - bi-annual salary revisions for the IGP and his confidantes?

The very reason for the establishment of the IPCMC is not so much gross inefficiency, though God knows you have travelled to rock bottom and beyond, but the total lack of integrity or adherence to your own operation standards.

The entire police force is ridden with corruption and abuse of authority and let me remind you of some of your force’s more unique records like deaths in custody, police stations being merrily on the payroll of all sorts of the very people the police are expected to eradicate.

Worse, the abduction of Pastor Raymond Koh and others, cases where you Fuzi and that former IGP Khalid Abu Bakar failed miserably to bring the perpetrators to justice – you only made some pathetic moves with the change of government, though not with much effect obviously. Should I also mention poor Indira Gandhi and her child?

Tell me also, Fuzi, have you also assumed royal status omnipotence like others seem to have of late? Who are you to say that you “disagree to the IPCMC”? You are just a government servant.

The icing on the IPCMC cake we are all eagerly awaiting is to see senior police officers joining the parade in Sungai Buloh.

Sherlock: If you have done nothing wrong, there is nothing to fear. So, what is the problem? This is not a question of 153,000 retired personnel objecting; it is about transparency and ethics.

Abasir: If "more than 153,000 retired personnel" are opposed to the IPCMC being totally independent of the police, we may justifiably conclude that the corrupt practices engaged in while in service are still bearing dividends in form of monthly payoffs in cash and kind.

There can be no other reason for those pensioned off to want a compromised commission, which is independent only in name.

Truthseeker: With IPCMC, there will be no more side income. No more open collusion with gangsters and drug lords. The home minister should put his foot down.

The police, as an interested party, cannot have any say on this matter. Those who disagree should just leave the force. There are a lot of jobless graduates who can take over.

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