THE Independent Police Conduct Commission will be ineffective as long as the appointment of its members are left in the hands of the Home Minister, P Ramasamy said today.

He added that the IPCC was not different from the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission  (EAIC) as both were deprived of enforcement powers.

“In fact, the EAIC might have some powers in calling for investigation rather than the totally impotent IPCC.”

“The problem with the introduction of the EAIC and later the IPCC was based on the motive to side-step the need to establish an independent commission to investigate the police force without fear or favour,” the Penang deputy chief minister ll said in a statement.

The Dewan Rakyat yesterday passed the Independent Police Conduct Commission Bill 2020, which aims to improve integrity, reduce police misconduct and increase public confidence in the force.

The bill was approved after going through several amendments and improvements. It had been tabled for first reading on August 26, 2020.

Ramasamy said that the Independent Police Complaints Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) which was mooted by the opposition and members of the civil society was a better solution in addressing issues of police misconduct, including on matters relating to custodial deaths.

“It is only such an agency with necessary enforcement powers that could check the serious disciplinary problems with some sections of the police force.”

“However, it is not only the police who are opposed to such a move, the government in power seems to go along with the police.”

‘I am not sure what there is to hide,” he said.

The DAP leader said the EAIC was a poor substitute for the IPCMC as it lacked the necessary enforcement powers and was only confined to certain government departments.

“The agency can investigate and recommend actions, but beyond that, the EAIC is toothless.”

“It could not discipline the police, especially those who flouted the law.”

“The EAIC hardly made any dent in terms of reducing custodial deaths that kept rising.”

He said that the newly formed IPCC was a pathetic response to thwart the calls for the establishment of the IPCMC.

“The IPCC is not different from the EAIC as both are deprived of enforcement powers.” – July 27, 2022.