by S Arutchelvan
Aliran Monthly Vol 25 (2005): Issue 10

	The Prime Minister talks about being angered by red tape, but in recent years there have been many recommendation made by Suhakam as well as by the Royal Commission. These recommendations do not even find a place for discussions in Parliament. S Arutchelvan

Suaram is deeply disturbed that the Prime Minister went on to announce the setting up of an independent inquiry panel to probe the recent nude squats lock-up abuse in spite of numerous calls calling for the implementation of the permanent independent commission recommended by the Royal Commission on the police force. In May 2005, the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysian Police called for a bill to be passed to be known as the “Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission Bill 2005”.

We are of the view that the Government is not serious and the recent move is just a political stunt to ease the growing dissatisfaction locally as well as internationally over the way the police conducted the so-called standard procedure of “strip searching”. The Prime Minister seems to be just postponing issues rather than handling them. On the Royal Commission recommendations, he further set up a task force to study these recommendations. When and where will this chain end?

The Prime Minister talks about being angered by red tape, but in recent years there have been many recommendation made by Suhakam as well as by the Royal Commission. These recommendations do not even find a place for discussions in Parliament. Therefore, the setting up of further new commissions to make further new recommendations will not lead to anything consequential if there is no political will to implement the recommendations.

We are not excited with the setting up of this recent independent commission. We call upon the Prime Minister to act on the issues and not just manage them cosmetically.

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S Arutchelvan is Suaram’s human rights officer in charge of monitoring police powers.

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