Commission to oversee the police force is a necessity
IT is disheartening to note that some of my former colleagues and the outgoing Inspector-General of Police (IGP) have once again come out against the setting up of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).
This was the case in 2006 when the IPCMC was supposed to be set up. We lost the opportunity then; hopefully it will not slip by again.
Those who disagree with the setting up the commission seem to have become stone deaf to the will of a society that desires a more transparent and accountable police service. Clearly, they are in a state of denial.
Even our most experienced IGP, Tun Hanif Omar, who sat on the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police, saw the urgency of setting up this specific watchdog.
The man who helmed the police force through our most testing times – steering us all the way to the total surrender of the communists during the period of insurgency in the 1970s and 1980s – realised that the reformation of the police had become an essential imperative in keeping with contemporary times. It must have been very difficult for him, especially when he had given the best part of his life to service, duty and sacrifice.
The police force and society are where we are today due to all the sacrifices made in those times. But times have changed and the government of New Malaysia has made promises that it must keep! The police are duty bound to follow instructions from the government of the day.
I call upon all concerned to read and digest not only the 125 recommendations of the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police in 2006 but also the reasoning and rationale behind those recommendations. It is crystal clear that the IPCMC has to be formed.
For too long, many within the service have prioritised serving the needs and wants of their political masters rather than implementing the rule of law without fear or favour.
This is the crux of the problem. The appointment of the IGP must hereafter be directly linked to Parliament. It will go a long way towards effective police reform.
However, the IPCMC cannot be involved in any disciplinary proceedings within the force, as this will lead to the collapse of the whole structure of command and control of the uniform.
Supervision within the ranks would also be affected. However, the IPCMC should still play a role in any appeal for those dissatisfied with such proceedings.
On the other hand, the IPCMC must not be created solely to find fault with the police. The members of the commission must be mindful of the overall morale of the uniform so as to keep the spirit of policing strong and confident.
There will be complaints not only from the public but from within the force itself, and many will have vested interests in undermining the men in blue. The IPCMC must not be a tool that is misused to demoralise the police. Its members must have the knowledge to protect the basic ingredients of police work especially in ensuring that police suspicion is always preserved and protected in the endeavour to detect crime complemented with the appropriate force required in the apprehension of dangerous criminals.
The commission members must always ensure that the police is protected when carrying out their duties in good faith.
In reality, the police have nothing to worry about with the formation of the IPCMC as long as they follow the rule of law efficiently, fairly, honestly and diligently, without fear or favour.