Abdullah reply on IPCMC a great disappointment – marks lack of political will to deliver  reform pledge and strengthens Mahathir allegation of a “half-past-six” administration

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Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang  
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(Parliament, Monday) The reply by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to me  during Parliamentary question-time that the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) proposal is still with the Attorney-General, who is looking into its structure and concept, implications and whether practical or not practical, is a great disappointment for at least five  reasons.

Firstly, the one-year timeline for the establishment of the IPCMC as proposed by the Royal Police Commission, i.e. May 2006, has passed.

Secondly, it is a classic “passing of the buck” on a policy question by the Prime Minister and Cabinet to an executive wing of government, which has no business to dabble with policy issues but to implement policy decisions as  far as  legislation and institutional changes are concerned.

Thirdly,  it represents a “backing down” by Abdullah of his earlier public commitment that an IPCMC to create an accountable, efficient, professional world-class police service would be established and being held to ransom by the insurbordination of  top police officers, UMNO MPs and UMNO Ministers.

Fourthly, it marks the lack of political will of Abdullah to deliver his reform pledge which won him the landslide 2004 general election victory winning some 92 per cent of parliamentary seats.

Fifthly, it  strengthens the allegation of former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad of a “half-past-six” administration.

When early this year,  he announced that the IPCMC would be established after the submission of the report of the Royal Police Squadgate Commission, Abdullah said the IPCMC “would be established as soon as the Attorney-General’s Chambers fine-tuned the concept”. (New Straits Times 24.1.06)

The NST report added that “A-G Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail got his orders this morning to have the proposal ready soon for implementation.”

From “fine tuning” to finalise legislative proposals for presentation to Parliament for the establishment of IPCMC, there is now a sea-change in the powers and jurisdiction of the Attorney-General’s Chambers as to usurp the powers of the Prime Minister, Cabinet and Parliament to make the policy decision on whether the IPCMC should be established.

I call on Abdullah to demonstrate that he has the political will to keep faith with his reform pledge by setting up the IPCMC and not to knuckle down to insubordination from certain elements in the police force, UMNO MPs and UMNO Ministers, and prove Tun Dr. Mahathir wrong that he has a “half-past-six” administration.

(26/06/2006)