The government must set a deadline to announce its actions concerning the Human Rights Commission's (Suhakam) allegation that the police had acted brutally during a mass protest along the Kesas highway last year, said an opposition leader today.

DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang said the government's reply in Parliament yesterday that it was "still studying" the report showed the government's "total indifference and unconcern" for important issues of police credibility, professionalism and accountability was outrageous.

"There is no acceptable excuse why the government is taking such an inordinately long time to take the necessary follow-up action based on Suhakam's findings," said Lim.

The indefinite delay is most "unsatisfactory and unacceptable", especially when Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had said early last month that the police had completed a detailed study on the report, he added.

Yesterday, home affairs ministry parliamentary secretary Abu Zahar Isnin informed the House that the committee set-up to look into the commission's findings was still studying the matter.

Suhakam's report on the Nov 5 100,000 People's Gathering was made public on Aug 20 this year.

Cabinet committee

Copies of the report were sent to the prime minister, deputy prime minister, minister in the Prime Minister's Department, the inspector-general of police and the attorney-general's office.

On Sept 9, when speaking at Suhakam's first anniversary, the deputy premier announced the establishment of a cabinet committee comprising various relevant agencies and departments to submit a report on the commission's findings to the cabinet.

Four days later, it was reported the cabinet committee had set-up a technical sub-committee, headed by Abdullah, and jointly chaired by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Dr Rais Yatim and home affairs ministry secretary-general Aseh Che Mat.

The technical sub-committee was to focus on the alleged violation of human rights by the police at the gathering and was scheduled to submit a report to the cabinet committee by this month.

Withdraw charges

Lim said there was a lesser reason for the inordinate and indefinite delay on the part of the government in announcing its decision and follow-up actions as the technical sub-committee was headed by Rais and Aseh who would already be dealing with substantive parts of the cabinet committee's deliberations.

He urged the deputy premier to set a three-month dateline to announce the government's actions on the Suhakam report.

In its deliberations, the cabinet committee should direct police chief Norian Mai to tender a public apology for the violations and the police personnel responsible should be charged, he added.

Lim also urged the AG chambers to withdraw all charges pending in court against those who participated in the mass protest.