As a professional and responsible inspector-general of police, Musa Hassan must support the formation of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), said Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang today.

"Musa should stop all double-talk and sophistry and come out clearly in full support of the IPCMC provided there is an appeal mechanism," he added in a statement.

Yesterday, several newspapers quoted Musa as saying the police were against the IPCMC. He later clarified that they were not happy with the lack of an appeal mechanism in the proposed body.

However, the police chief, who assumed office on Monday, said the police would accept whatever decision made by the government.

Quoting a Wednesday Bernama report , Lim said Musa claimed that some of the proposals regarding the IPCMC were hindering the police from doing their duties and he would not allow his personnel to be treated unfairly.

"You want to tie our hands, we will not allow you to tie our hands," Musa had reportedly said.

Shoddy argument

According to Lim, the police chief also said there were currently four bodies already acting as watchdogs - the Police Disciplinary Division, the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), Public Complaints Bureau and the Police Commission headed by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Musa argued that the four bodies were already more than adequate to ensure that the force toe the line while performing their duties.

However, Lim disagreed.

"It is precisely because the four bodies were unable to ensure that the police toe the line that the first thing Abdullah did when becoming prime minister was to establish the Royal Police Commission," he said.

"If the four bodies mentioned by Musa had been able to ensure an incorruptible and human rights-sensitive police service capable of ensuring low crime rate in the country, then it would not have been necessary to establish the Royal Police Commission," he added.

The Royal Police Commission had provided 125 recommendations, which included the IPCMC, on how to improve the police force.

Commenting further on the police chief's argument, Lim said: "Musa is doing himself, whether as the new IGP or the police force, no service in trotting out an argument which cannot stand up to the most superficial examination of scrutiny."

The question is, he added, is whether Musa will take a pro-active stand to support the IPCMC or whether he will continue the previous leadership stance of "supporting efforts to frustrate and sabotage" its establishment.

Meanwhile, rights group Suaram also took the new police chief to task.

In a statement, it called on the Internal Security Ministry to issue a stern warning to Musa for interfering in the decision-making process of a national policy.