Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has told civil servants who could not deliver the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) to take a 'permanent rest', but is he prepared to send Inspector General-of-Police Bakri Omar the same message?

This is the question posed by Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang over the police force's open rejection led by Bakri on the setting up of a powerful independent watchdog - the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

He was commenting on the premier's statement during his one-day visit to Perlis yesterday.

Abdullah has said the government would not tolerate those who undermined the plan and told civil servants to 'facilitate and not frustrate' the 9MP, and if these government officers cannot deliver, 'they should take a permanent rest'.

"How many public officials had Abdullah removed in the past 30 months for frustrating his reform pledge and programme to head a clean, incorruptible, efficient, effective, accountable, transparent, fair and just administration?" Lim asked in a statement today.

"Most important of all, is Abdullah prepared to tell Bakri to resign as IGP if the latter refuses to accept civilian authority and continues to spearhead opposition to the establishment of the IPCMC?" he added.

Why double standard?

He has earlier argued that Bakri was 'guilty of insubordination' for openly rejecting the IPCMC proposal as it was the premier who has consented to establish the body, which was touted as the most significant recommendation from a government-backed Royal police commission.

Lim also questioned the credibility of Abdullah's 'non nonsense' approach if he let the IGP continues to enjoy immunity and impunity for the 'open insubordination'.

He drew a comparison when Abdullah publicly slapped down the memorandum submitted by the nine non-Muslim cabinet ministers over the constitutional rights of non-Muslims during the height of Mount Everest M Moorthy's death and the Article 121 (1A) controversy.

"What is the reason for the double standards when the IGP can get away scot-free though guilty of a very much more serious offence in his act of open insubordination in publicly opposing the IPCMC?'

De facto law minister Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz said yesterday that the government will set up an ombudsman unit to tackle complaints against the authorities, including ministers because not all the complaints were directed at the police and thus it is unfair to form a special police watchdog.

However, Abdullah has since clarified saying that both the ombudsman and IPCMC proposals are being studied by the Attorney-General's Chambers.