Police personnel do not want the IPCMC to oversee police disciplinary cases.
The police force has rejected the suggestion of setting up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to handle disciplinary cases among police personnel, says outgoing Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun.
He said the suggestion was rejected by both serving and retired police personnel at a recent meeting.
“The committee which conducted the meeting has conveyed the objection through a letter to the Prime Minister’s Office.
“This issue has received the attention from serving as well as retired officers. Many have disagreed with some of the suggestions, especially allowing IPCMC to take charge of disciplinary issues. Almost 153,000 retired police personnel spoke out against the suggestion,” he told reporters today.
Fuzi added that the meeting had also decided that the committee will have to meet Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to resolve the matter.
In August last year, Fuzi said the police welcomed the formation of IPCMC but had submitted several proposals for the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government to consider.
He said the force had discussed the matter with the government, but there were several key issues that must be addressed by the government before setting up the commission.
His number two at the time, Noor Rashid Ibrahim, heralded such a move, saying it would enhance the integrity and capabilities of the police.
Fuzi, however, later said that a police representative should be a part of the commission.
Mahathir had announced last September that the IPCMC would replace the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC).
The IPCMC is a police oversight body proposed by a royal commission of inquiry in 2005 to improve the police force, following a spate of deaths in custody.
In March, Fuzi said a task force in the police force had been set up to collect feedback on IPCMC.
Previously, it was reported that Datuk Liew Vui Keong, a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, had said the setting up of the IPCMC was in line with PH’s election manifesto to tackle and investigate matters concerning police integrity and misconduct.
Under Item 20 of its election manifesto, PH had promised to implement the IPCMC within its first term.
Persatuan Pegawai Kanan president SAC Sulaiman Yahaya said their main disagreement was on the IPCMC taking over disciplinary investigations.
“We already have our own Integrity and Standard Compliance Department (JIPS).
“The main reason we are opposing this is because the IPCMC is an outside body
“It may not have all the information that our Police Commission has before it takes action against personnel,” he said, adding that he was against the IPCMC as a whole.
Sulaiman said they would accept the IPCMC if its role was to monitor the police force and give suggestions on improvements that need to be made.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad is open to meeting any party, including the IGP, regarding the establishment of the IPCMC.
“I meet people every day. There are those who support it (IPCMC), and those who oppose it.
“We will constantly receive feedback from people and then take a decision,” he told a press conference in Putrajaya today.
The premier was responding to a question on whether the IPCMC will proceed despite police objection.