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Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Petaling Jaya, Saturday): DAP Members of Parliament will seek a meeting with the Inspector-General of Police and the Deputy Inspector-General of Police  after the Chinese New Year holidays on the status of implementation of the 133 recommendations of the two Royal Police Commissions

On Tuesday, the Prime Minister who is also the Internal Security Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he had directed the police to make periodical announcements on the implementations of the 125 recommendations of the first Dzaiddin Royal Police Commission so that the public would be kept up to date on the progress.

It is scandalous and outrageous that eight months after the submission of the first Dzaiddin Commission Report  to transform the Royal Malaysia Police into a world class, twenty-first century organization that is efficient, clean and trustworthy, dedicated to serving the people and the nation with integrity and respect for human rights, there has not been a single report or announcement by the Police about the status of implementation of its 125 recommendations.

The impression that the police has given to Malaysians is that it has given lip-service reception to the 125 recommendations of the first Dzaiddin Commission – but with only  real support for the  recommendations relating to the upgrading of logistics, manpower, housing and training but not those which concern police reforms on efficiency, professionalism and integrity.

This is why it has taken eight months and a second Royal Commission on the “Squatgate” scandal before  the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi could  announce the establishment of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), the most important of the 125 recommendations.

The continued police resistance and opposition to the establishment of an external oversight agency on police misconduct, corruption and criminality is evident from the Utusan Malaysia report yesterday about the  call by three police organizations to the government to reconsider the decision to  establish the IPCMC when they met the IGP, Tan Sri Bakri Omar and the Deputy IGP Datuk Seri Musa Hassan.

The three police organizations are the Persatuan Pegawai Kanan Polis Cawangan Inspektor (PPKPCI), Persatuan Pegawai Kanan Polis Cawangan yang Diwartakan (PPKPCW) dan Persatuan Polis Pangkat Rendah (PPPR).

This raises the question whether the IPCMC that will be set up will be a watered-down version from that proposed by the two Royal Police Commissions, with very limited powers and impact, or whether it is going to be an effective and exemplary police oversight commission which could be the model for other countries.

The first Dzaiddin Commission Report discovered that “public confidence in PDRM is very low”.

It said: “The qualities many in the public and business see in the PDRM are the antithesis of all that PDRM aspires to be.  PDRM is generally viewed as inefficient, uncaring, unable to prevent or check crime and corruption to a significant degree. Concerns regarding infringements and abuse of human rights are extensive, and PDRM is not seen as being transparent or accountable to the public.”

If a national opinion poll is conducted as to whether such public perception of the police has changed eight months after the 2005 Royal Commission Report and its 125 recommendations, the answer must be a categorical “No”.

Where  are the new-found   police accountability, transparency and good governance when nobody, whether the Malaysian rakyat, Member of Parliament or  Cabinet Minister  have any clue as to the status of the 125 recommendations eight months after its publication?

The first Dzaiddin Commission had proposed a time-frame for the implementation of all the recommendations, with 62 or 50 per cent of its 125 recommendations to be implemented by this month.

If the police accepts the challenge of the Royal Commission to be a clean, efficient, professional  world-class police service, it should immediately release  a report to the people and nation on the current status of implementation of the 125 recommendations of the first Dzaiddin Commission and eight recommendations of the second Dzaiddin (Squatgate) Commission.

                                                                               
(28/01/2006)