Efforts underway in Parliament to push for IPCMC

KUALA LUMPUR: A concerted effort is underway in Parliament to push for the swift setting up of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

The move comes after a coalition of 50 non-governmental organisation called Gabungan Tuntut IPCMC marched to Parliament to hand over a memorandum on the IPCMC to several lawmakers sitting on Parliament Special Select Committees and government representatives.

Deputy Rural Development Minister R. Sivarasa assured the group that he would personally pass their memorandum to Law Minister Datuk Liew Vui Keong and Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

"The recent findings by the Human Rights Commission of Malaysian (Suhakam) on enforced disappearances only proves that the IPCMC needs to be set up for an independent body to investigate claims of wrongdoings and abuse by the police," he told reporters at a press conference after accepting the memorandum in Parliament.

Also present to accept the memorandum was Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah, who sits on the Parliamentary Caucus on Reforms and Governance chaired by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Parliament Special Committee on Human Rights and Gender Equality member Batu Kawan MP Kasthuriraani Patto said she would take the matter up for discussion in the committee.

"I will bring the memorandum up for discussions to push the Prime Minister's Department and Home Ministry to swiftly set up the IPCMC," she said.

Also present to accept the memorandum were chairman of Parliament Special Select Committee on Defence and Home Ministry Datuk Mansor Othman and Pakatan Harapan Backbenchers Council secretary Chang Lih Kang.

Meanwhile, M. Visvanathan, who heads the coalition, not that IPCMC was mooted in a Royal Commission set up in 2005, but has yet to be set up.

"The IPCMC will help curb or prevent abuse of police powers and lock-up deaths," he said.

Earlier, the group gathered at Padang Merbok before making their way to the Parliament guardhouse.

Several representatives - including family members of those who had died while in police detention - were allowed in to hand over the memorandum.

Calls for the setting up of the IPCMC have grown louder after Suhakam's findings implicated Bukit Aman’s Special Branch in the disappearances of Pastor Raymond Koh and Perlis Hope founder Amri Che Mat.