Can the cops really police themselves without an independent police commission? That's what Parti Keadilan Rakyat Youth (PKR) and eight non-governmental organisations (NGOs) want to know.

Taking the case of deceased detainee G Francis Udayappan as an example, they want to see if the police will act against Deputy Inspector-General of Police and then Federal CID chief Musa Hassan ( photo ), for claiming in May 2004 that Francis was alive and at large.

They claim Musa had misled the public by announcing that the police were investigating the matter as a 'missing person' case, a claim indirectly proven wrong by the magistrate court lately.

Today, PKR and eight NGOs jointly submitted a protest note to the director of the disciplinary department of the police headquarters in Bukit Aman over the 'mis-handling' of the entire episode.

The protest note was received by Chief Insp K Ramia on behalf of the department. Francis' mother Sara Lily, was also present.

In the protest note, it was alleged that the police had not followe up on the 'missing person' case and that thus far, no one has been made responsible for Francis' death.

It recommended that Musa be suspended and that he should not be appointed as IGP in future for being "irresponsible, inefficient and making false statements".

On May 23, 2004, a highly decomposed body clad in a pink KL police lock-up shirt was fished out of the Klang River. Sara claimed that her son had been beaten while under detention at the Brickfields district police station and that his body had been dumped in the river.

A tussle over the body lasted two years until the finding of a judicial inquest on April 7 supported Sara's claim, but also stated that no foul play was involved.

Restore integrity

PKR Youth exco member Khairul Anuar, urging the police to investigate their complaints, told reporters that the police force was facing a "crisis of integrity" and had to show it can probe its own officers.

"It was clear that Francis had died and his body was 'detained' for another two years. Still, Musa said he was still alive," he said, adding that the case shows the need for the implementation of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconducted Commission.

Also present was PKR deputy information chief Badrul Hisham who expressed disappointment with the choice of representative sent by the police.

"The police always send an Indian (Malaysian) representative whenever we bring up this issue. But this is not an Indian issue. Francis is human! And this is a serious criminal case," he said.

Sara's lawyer N Surendran said she has vowed to exhaust all legal avenues and even petition the King to seek justice for her son, because she does not want another mother to go through the same anguish.

The inquest recorded the cause of death as "uncertain". Sara has since filed an appeal against the decision.

Other groups who endorsed the protest note are Parti Reformasi Insan Malaysia, Police Watch and Human Rights Committee, Pelindung Hak Asasi Manusia, Malaysians Against Death Penalty, Indian Consultative Council, Hindu Consultative Committee, Ad Hoc Committee Against the Death in Police Custody and Shooting to Death by the Police and Awas.Polis.