THE Malaysian Bar today called for the immediate establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to investigate complaints about police abuses.
It urged the government to also introduce laws to allow the coroner to supervise and direct investigations into the causes of suspicious deaths.
“The current Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) Bill proposed by the government lacks the bite to ensure genuine and independent transparency and accountability in the force,” Bar Council president AG Kalidas said in a statement today.
“And there should be no further delay in the enactment of the Coroners Act.
“Unabated deaths in custody have led to an erosion of confidence in law enforcement authorities.”
Police actions have come under public scrutiny after the death in April of forty-year-old A Ganapathy while in the force’s custody.
He was arrested on February 24 and spent 12 days in prison to assist in investigations into his brother’s alleged crimes before being admitted to the Selayang hospital.
He died after a month in intensive care.
The lawyer of the family said a post-mortem had confirmed Ganapathy died of injuries inflicted by beatings.
The police said denied this in a press conference yesterday, saying there was no evidence that the deceased was beaten while in custody.
Kalidas said the Bar believed that fundamental structural reforms would lead to greater clarity in inquiry processes. – May 1, 2021.
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