DAP deputy chairperson Dr Tan Seng Giaw today reminded the government that 18 percent of recommendations formulated by the Royal Police Commission in 2005 had yet to be implemented.

parliament ipcmc roundtable talk 281207 tan seng giaw Among the recommendations yet to be realised, said Tan, was the Independent Police Complaints and Miscoduct Commission ( IPCMC ), which many regarded as the centrepiece of the commission’s report.

In a statement today, the DAP legislator said experiences overseas such as in the United Kingdom and Australia have shown that a mechanism similar to the IPCMC is vital.

"One reason the police opposes the IPCMC is because it is only meant for the police, but not for other enforcement bodies such as the Road Transport and Customs departments.

"But in Australia and the UK, there used to be an ombudsman for all departments. But this has been found to be ineffective. They have since formed an independent commission dealing solely with complaints against the police," said the five-term Kepong MP.

Motto change

Tan also urged the government to change the present police motto - Mesra, Cepat dan Betul (Friendly, Fast and Correct) - to the one recommended by the Royal Commission which reads Mesra, Cekap dan Beramanah (Friendly, Efficient and Trustworthy).

police commission report english version 160505 "Clearly, the police have no intention of accepting this motto (hence the delay in implementing the recommendation)," added Tan.

The Royal Commission Report in 2005 was hailed by activists and legal experts as one of the most important document ever produce on policing.

However, some of the most vital recommendations made by the commission have yet to be implemented, particularly the IPCMC.

There have been attempts to produce a ‘ watered down ’ version of the IPCMC which has been dubbed the Special Complaints Commission (SCC).

The SCC draft bill was supposed to be tabled in December last year only to be postponed following public protest.