Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang has urged the cabinet to unveil the draft Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) bill for public scrutiny.

Lim said should cabinet decide otherwise when it sits next Wednesday, there would not be sufficient time left for parliamentarians and civil society to study the bill.

"(Then) this will make a full mockery of the public consultation process and the meaning of participatory democracy," he said in a statement today.

The ongoing parliamentary session ends on Dec 19 and Minister in the Prime Minsiter's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz has previously said the IPCMC bill would be debated during this session.

Lim stressed that proper public study of the bill was of outmost importance as it was the centre-piece of the 2005 Royal Police Commission's recommendations towards police reforms.

Perverse illogic

In another development, Lim criticised the cabinet's decision not to admit Bar Council members as commissioners in the upcoming royal commission of inquiry relating to the VK Lingam video clip.

"In completely excluding the Bar Council members in the commission, the government is only undermining its own case and cause," said Lim.

Yesterday, Nazri said there was "no chance" for Bar Council members becoming commissioners during the royal commission because they were biased and had marched "against the judiciary".

"This is classic perverse illogic," exclaimed Lim, adding that the lawyers marched on Sept 27 against judicial corruption and not against the judiciary.

"Going by Nazri's perverse illogic, isn't the executive itself compromised by the 19-year history of a tainted judiciary, because of the acts of omission and commission by the Executive, which should render the ministers unfit and unqualified to exercise powers to appoint members of the royal commission concerned about the independence and integrity of the judiciary?" he asked.

Lim proposed that Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan should be seriously considered as a member of the royal commission in order to ensure the commission's credibility and legitimacy.

He further urged for the government to include wide terms of reference for the royal commission in order to restore national and international confidence in the independence and integrity of the judiciary.

Cabinet is expected to choose members of the commission on Wednesday.