INSPECTOR-GENERAL of Police Abdul Hamid Bador says the burden of convincing the force to accept the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) will be his.

The top cop told reporters that it is his job to convince police personnel after Putrajaya completes a draft of the IPCMC bill on the police oversight body.

“PDRM will wait for the formation of IPCMC, what it will be like.

“After that, it is my responsibility to explain it to them and their rights and welfare will be taken care of,” he said during a visit to the Taman Tun Dr Ismail Ramadan bazaar today.

Abdul Hamid is the first IGP to agree to the IPCMC that was proposed in 2005 by a royal commission of inquiry into police misconduct.

Since then, different IGPs and police personnel have opposed it.

Prior to his visit to the bazaar, Abdul Hamid visited the TTDI police quarters where he said conditions are in a poor state.

“I have been visiting police stations for the past month. Just now I was at the Taman Tun Dr Ismail quarters. The conditions are so bad.

“My personnel living there have sacrificed a lot. They had no choice but to live in such deplorable conditions.

“Give me the opportunity to stand up for my men. Their rights have been denied for years.”

Earlier today, the Malaysian Bar said Putrajaya must present drafts of the IPCMC bill to civil society groups before it is tabled in Parliament.

Co-chair of the Bar’s taskforce on IPCMC M. Ramachelvam said engagement on the details of the bill will be important, even among groups that are supportive of the oversight body.

Another member of the Bar task force, Sivaraj Retinasekharan said majority of police officers are not in favour of the IPCMC.

This was highlighted during a roundtable with the retired police officers association.

“The retired police force association said they still don’t have the support of the majority of the police officers in the force, although the inspector-general of police has agreed to it.

“We agreed to correct the misconception among police officers and we want to address their concerns.

“The new IPCMC draft will look at the most vile and terrible misconduct,” Sivaraj said

The IPCMC was first proposed by a royal commission of inquiry in 2005 to improve the police force, following a spate of deaths in custody.

In 2006, the police force under then IGP Mohd Bakri Omar launched a campaign to reject the IPCMC. – May 30, 2019.