‘IPCMC TO BE SET UP BY YEAR END’
Work on law to establish agency won’t take too long, says Muhyiddin
THE Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) is expected to be established by the end of this year.
The body would be established after the law for its formation was tabled and adopted by Parliament, said Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
He said the National Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC) was looking into the details of the IPCMC law.
He said he was confident that work on the law would not take too long.
“There are several Parliament sessions before the end of this year. This allows us the time to table and pass the law on the IPCMC,” he said.
“What is expected and what is hoped is that we can form the IPCMC by the end of this year.”
He said this after presenting
the new deputy inspector-general of police, Datuk Mazlan Mansor, his appointment letter here yesterday.
Muhyiddin said the details of the IPCMC, including membership and the body’s composition, would also be ironed out later.
“Questions about police’s power, appeals and discipline-related matters have been explained and the police are satisfied with GIACC’s explanation.
“This includes the issue of outsiders (people who have no police background) leading the IPCMC, as this was one of the police’s concerns.”
GIACC director-general Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed reportedly said several adjustments had to be made to the proposed IPCMC bill based on the concerns raised by police before it was finalised and submitted to the cabinet for approval prior to being tabled in Parliament.
On the fate of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC), Muhyiddin said it would also be looked into.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in September, announced that the IPCMC would replace the EAIC and act as an independent body to look into police complaints more holistically.
The EAIC is a federal statutory body established under Section 3 of the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission Act 2009, which was gazetted on Sept 3, 2009.
The act replaced the IPCMC Bill 2005. It was created in line with the government’s aim to enhance integrity among enforcement officers and law enforcement agencies.
On calls by certain quarters urging the government declassify the May 13 racial riots report from the Official Secrets Act, Muhyiddin said there had been no formal request received by the government on the matter.
“Why is there a need to dig up old stories? It was a lesson learnt. What is important is the present and the future.
“We do not want a chaotic country due to racial and religious issues. What we experienced in the past should be used as a yardstick and should not be reported,” he said, assuring that the Pakatan Harapan government would act in a just and fair manner.