PETALING JAYA, MAY 30- The suggestion of a special police panel on custodial death is receiving more flak. The latest criticism against the panel was made by Puchong MP, Gobind Singh Deo on the grounds that the previous recommendations were brushed aside by the police force.
“There has been a RCI which resulted in the proposal of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission. Even after this, there have been deaths in police custody which have become the focal point of anger of the nation against the police such as the case of Kugan, Ahmad Sarbani and Teoh Beng Hock.
“In Teoh Beng Hock’s case, there was also a RCI which came out with specific criticisms and suggestions to solve these problems, to ensure deaths like these do not occur again in custody.
“In addition to this, this matter has been raised in Parliament many times and in the last session, the Home Ministry assured the house that steps were being taken to solve the problems,” said Gobind who is also DAP’s national legal bureau chief in a statement today.
On Tuesday, Bukit Aman management director Mortadza Nazarene announced that the police would be setting up a special committee led by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar to curb deaths in police lock ups.
The committee that is expected to start functioning soon will among others, monitor the safety aspects and health condition of those detained by police in lock ups.
Central lock ups in five locations have already been equipped with CCTV cameras, intercom, lawyers room, court room, identification parade room for suspects and a pantry.
On that note, Gobind also challenged Khalid to reveal the measures undertaken by the police to stop the recurrence of deaths in police lock-ups.
“The IGP should take the challenge and tell us, until now, what steps have been taken to improve, to ensure deaths in custody does not occur again?
“How much of the suggestions and recommendations from the RCI’s of the past have actually been implemented? He should also outline the number of deaths and what action has been taken against officers concerned,” said Gobind.
He also said that Khalid should be in the forefront to push for the implementation of IPCMC if he truly wanted to end deaths in custody instead of forming panels that are a waste of time and contribute to the decline of public confidence in the police force.
Khalid shouldn’t lead the committee
PAS central commitee member Dzulkefly Ahmad also criticised the idea of Khalid leading the committee.
“One cannot be a judge for his own cause. He would be partisan for the police force. It would be better if a respectable personality with sterling character such as a former judge or a law professor leads the committee,” said the former Kuala Selangor MP.
Yesterday, PKR vice president N Surendran who is also the legal counsel to Dharmendran’s family criticised the move as an attempt to cover up by the police.
He also questioned Khalid’s competency to lead the special committee.
While commending the move, Malaysian Bar president Christopher Leong reiterated calls for IPCMC and the formation of a Coroner’s Court.
