KUALA LUMPUR: Former home minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein says the second reading of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) Bill should be postponed.
Speaking to reporters at the parliament lobby, Hishammuddin (BN-Sembrong) said this was a matter that involved the police, and should not be taken lightly.
“I hope the Dewan Rakyat will reject the setting up of the IPCMC.
“There are many other agencies that can do the same thing they are proposing to do.”
He said there was something “not right” about the formation of the police oversight body and that it must be properly implemented.
“This concerns the dignity of the police, an institution that we respect. We don’t want their morale to be affected.”
The bill is being debated in Parliament, and is expected to be passed later today.
In September last year, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had announced that the IPCMC would replace the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission.
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 cases.
In March, former inspector-general of police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun said a police taskforce had been set up to collect feedback on the IPCMC.
He later revealed that the proposal was rejected by both serving and retired policemen.