Call on MPs, whether government or opposition, to take united stand in Parliament on June 24   to support the Prime Minister to establish IPCMC and to censure IGP Bakri for anti-IPCMC and “police revolt”  posting  on police website                                

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Press Statement
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Saturday) : MPs, whether government or opposition, should take a united stand when Parliament reconvenes for a 14-day meeting on June 24 to support the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to implement the key recommendation of Royal Police Commission for the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) and to censure Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Omar for the anti-IPCMC and “police revolt” posting on the official police website.

It would the height of ridicule if the Prime Minister continues to get stronger support from DAP  MPs than from Barisan Nasional MPs in giving him support for the establishment of the IPCMC as he had publicly committed to do.

It would be even more ridiculous if Barisan Nasional MPs are subject to a Whip forbidding them from supporting any Opposition motion and to act according to conscience to endorse  the Prime Minister on  the establishment of the IPCMC.

The Opposition does not have any Whip to bar Opposition MPs from acting according to conscience to support any Barisan Nasional motion to back  the Prime Minister on the establoishment of  the IPCMC.

It is an open secret that the :Prime Minister has run  into strong opposition not only in the police, but also among  certain Ministers and UMNO MPs on the IPCMC issue, but all must be reminded of Abdullah’s categorical pledge on 24th January this year to accept and implement the key  Royal Police Commission recommendation on IPCMC “to receive complaints on and monitor police misconduct as soon as possible to improve the police service” and tasking the Attorney-General’s Chambers with the responsibility to look in the “details” for the implementation of the IPCMC.

Ten days later, Abdullah made it very clear in Kepala Batas on February 4, 2006  that the  Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) must accept any decision made by the government on the setting up of the IPCMC  to monitor the force, and that the Attorney-General's Office was studying the matter in detail, including legal provisions, its name, structure and powers.

Why is the Attorney-General taking such a long time to complete the task entrusted to him to finalise the legislative proposals to be presented to Parliament for the establishment of IPCMC – disregarding the timeline of the Royal Police Commission for its estabblishment by last month?

The Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani :Patail risks parliamentary censure if he continues to procrastinate and sit on the assignment to formulate the necessary legislation to establish the IPCMC without undue delay.

He should banish from his mind any notion to propose the abandonment of Royal Police Commission recommendation on the IPCMC, for three reasons:

• A  mockery of the good work done by the Royal Police Commission in rejecting its key recommendation on IPCMC;

• Open opposition to the  public pledge by  the Prime Minister to  implement the IPCMC recommendation of the Police Royal Commission.

• Plunging the office of Attorney-General to its worst  public confidence crisis in the nation’s history.

I welcome the stand of  three of the Barisan Nasional youth wings – MCA Youth, MIC Youth and Gerakan Youth – expressing support for the IPCMC, as reported by Malaysiakini yesterday.

Time is long past however for MCA Youth, MIC Youth and Gerakan Youth just to give verbal support, after  they had allowed UMNO Youth all this while  to be the de facto spokesperson for all Barisan Nasional Youth wings in opposing the establishment of the IPCMC.

The three Barisan Nasional youth wings should not only  requisition for an emergency meeting of the Barisan Nasional Youth to convince UMNO Youth to support the  IPCMC, their MPs should take a clear and principled stand in the 14-day meeting of Parliament beginning on June 26 to support IPCMC.

Top on the parliamentary agenda beginning on June 26 are  the IPCMC and the latest instance of police insurbodination, indiscipline, defiance and challenge of the Prime Minister, Cabinet and Parliament signified by the posting on the official police website outlinining the  protests and retaliatory actions which police could resort to if the IPCMC is set up.

Inspector-General of Police Bakri had tried to make light of the anti-IPCMC material appearing on the Royal Malaysian Police website, claiming it was an  ‘inadvertent’ act as he had consented to its  publication as an internal  booklet only to  be distributed among the police personnel.

The IGP had compounded the police revolt and challenge  of Cabinet and parliamentary authority, as the greatest offence are the contents while its publication on the official police website is a secondary issue.

Such deviation  from and compromising the  police role as the impartial, professional and non-political upholder of law and order is completely unacceptable.

IGP Bakri had said many things recently, except for one that matters most – whether he would set an example of police loyalty and professionalism to support the IPCMC when it is set up as had been announced by the Prime Minister, or whether he would head the police force in a “revolt” as indicated by the rogue posting on the police website.

I have given notice to Parliament that when it reconvenes on June 26, it should make clear its condemnation of “such open defiance and challenge of the fundamental principles of democratic and good governance by the police, who  are implementers and not policy makers” and that “Firm disciplinary action should be taken against those in the police force implicated in such ‘revolt’ against Ministerial, Cabinet and Parliamentary authority – completely without fear or favour, including the Inspector-General of Police”.

There was a 12-point proposal as to what the police could and should  do in protest against the establishment of IPCMC, which had appeared in the “rogue posting” on the police website: viz:
 

a. Sentimen marah dan sedih dibayangkan melalui SMS dan telefon yang diterima dari setiap peringkat dari seluruh negara.

b. Kerja mengikut masa.

c. Menolak elaun RM100 dan menuntut kerja 5 hari seminggu, 8 jam sehari seperti mana lain-lain kakitangan awam.

d. Melaksanakan ‘core business’ sahaja – menghakis semangat bersedia berkhidmat.

e. Mengundi pembangkang pada tahun 2008.

f. Meminta pembangkang memperjuangkan hak Polis di Parlimen.

g. Menuntut pucuk pimpinan Exco Persatuan (Persatuan Pegawai-Pegawai Kanan Polis Yang Diwartakan – PPKP/CPW)  meletakkan jawatan kerana gagal memperjuangkan kepentingan ahli.

h. Menuntut pucuk pimpinan PDRM meletakkan jawatan.

i. Biar jenayah naik.

j. Pegawai penyiasat meletak jawatan beramai-ramai.

k. Kecewa, Polis sahaja dijadikan sasaran walaupun terdapat kelemahan lain-lain agensi Kerajaan.

l. Kecewa kerana KKDN berdiam diri.

(03/06/2006)