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IGP Bakri doing a great disservice to the nation in undermining the Prime Minister’s reform pledge and programme of clean, efficient, accountable and transparent public service by spearheading the opposition to the key Royal Police Commission proposal for ICPMC
Press Statement The Caucus is urging the Prime Minister to stand firm to implement the key recommendation of the Royal Police Commission to establish an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission despite the various opposition which had surfaced recently. The Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance decided to take this stand because of the critical importance of the IPCMC in the promotion of human rights and good governance in the country. In fact, the establishment of IPCMC has become a test case for human rights and good governance commitment in Malaysia. The Parliamentary Caucus on Human Rights and Good Governance took this decision without the involvement of the Chairman, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, in view of his position as a Cabinet Minister. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Caucus on Monday, with MPs from both the ruling coalition and the Opposition. Let me stress that the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Omar is doing a great disservice to the nation in undermining the Prime Minister’s reform pledge and programme of a clean, efficient, accountable and transparent public service by spearheading the opposition to the key Royal Police Commission proposal for the IPCMC. As IGP, Bakri should have exercised responsible leadership to help convince all in the police service that the Royal Police Commission proposal for an IPCMC is not part of a “police-bashing” conspiracy but an important formula to restore public confidence in the efficiency, integrity and professionalism of the Malaysian police in its journey to become a world-class police service. Instead, IGP is in the very forefront in the opposition to the IPCMC proposal. Suggestions that those who support the IPCMC recommendation have an ulterior agenda to humiliate and demoralise the police are not only baseless and misplaced, but cast a most unworthy and dishonourable aspersion on the integrity, character and motives of the eminent citizens who comprise Royal Police Commission – which was headed by former Chief Justice Tun Mohammad Dzaiddin and former IGP Tun Hanif Omar. Bakri and others can disagree with the IPCMC proposal but they should never impugn the integrity, honour and patriotism of the Royal Police Commissioners and Malaysians who support the IPCMC as such support are motivated by the best interests for the police force and the nation. As the Prime Minister had publicly made a commitment to accept the Royal Police Commission and establish the IPCMC, Bakri has committed the grave offense of insubordination and defiance of authority of the Prime Minister in publicly declaring that the police had rejected the IPCMC proposal and 24 other proposals. The acceptance or otherwise of the IPCMC and the other 24 other proposals of the Royal Police Commission is a policy issue to be decided by the Prime Minister, Cabinet and Parliament and not by the police or any government department or service, unless Malaysia has become a police state. If Bakri is not prepared to accept the authority of the Prime Minister, Cabinet and Parliament to decide on the policy issue on the IPCMC and the other Royal Police Commission recommendations, then the only honourable way out for him is to resign as IGP to express his opposition and not to be guilty of insubordination by wearing the uniform of the IGP to openly go against the authority of the Prime Minister and Cabinet – setting a dangerous precedent undermining the important principle in a parliamentary democracy that the public service, including the police, must be subject to civilian oversight, accountability and authority.
* Lim Kit Siang, |