by Lim Guan Eng

(Petaling Jaya, Friday): The Inspector-General (IGP) of Police Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Omar should not only apologise to the government but also to the people for threatening to resign and allow crime to rise if the government adopts the Royal Police Commission’s recommendations to establish the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC). The IGP continues to insist that the internal report opposing the IPCMC were meant to be circulated internally and not made public in the police website.

Clearly this is a poor attempt of damage control that the police had been caught “red-handed” in an open revolt criticizing the Prime Minster Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the Royal Police Commission. The public finds it hard to believe that the “right hand does not know what the left hand is doing” from the IGP’s assertions that he had no knowledge that the internal report was put up on the Police website Berita Bukit Aman, “IPCMC – Kuasa yang tidak boleh dicabar”.

If the IGP and the police feels remorse for their open “revolt”, then they should not only apologise to the public but also prevent such an internal report from being circulated amongst their officials. To consent to the circulation of such a report by the IGP, even internally, is to give the endorsement to the views that are both seditious and treacherous to the government and the country’s public order and security. The 12-page report contained ferocious criticisms by senior police personnel such as ACP Jamaludin bin Hj Khalid and the CPO of Kuala Lumpur, Pahang and Sabah  against the ICPMC.

The IGP must impose a ban on this internal report, even from being circulated internally. For that reason, the IGP should strongly disassociate himself from views completely at variance with the public that the establishment of the IPCMC was "unconstitutional, prejudicial to national security and public order, victimised the people, and could cause a state of anarchy that would undermine BN’s power". Why should the police interfere in political matters and worry about BN’s power when their constitutional duty is protecting the public and their property?

Clearly there is no remorse from the police who continue to abuse human rights by severely beating up peaceful demonstrators at the Kuala Lumpur City Centre against the electricity tariff hike last Sunday. How can the public expect the police to discipline and monitor itself when there is no public confidence in its professionalism, independence and accountability..

Worse the police even called on the IGP and senior police personnel to resign, expressed disappointment to the Internal Security Ministry for remaining silent, threatened that loyalty once lost was difficult to regain and even to allow crime to rise. To even internally circulate an internal report amongst top police officers threatening to allow crime to rise is irresponsible, a gross disrespect to the police uniform that seeks to protect the public and a total loss of any moral and legal authority of the police.

Such disrespect, defiance and insubordination can not be allowed to go unpunished or it will blur the legal authority established since Merdeka of civilian and political control over the police force. The Prime Minister should immediately stop the internal circulaton of the internal report, sack any police personnel who suggest allowing crime to rise and by putting property and public safety first as they are not qualified to wear the uniform. Any hesitation on his part would only allow the present crisis of authority and discipline in the police force to continue.

If the police have nothing to hide, why should they dare to internally circulate their threat of an open revolt against the IPCMC which is intended to root out black sheep who abuse their powers and exceed their authority in human rights and corrupt practices. The police should accept the challenge by accepting the IPCMC to prove that they are committed towards getting rid of human rights abuses and corruption and reform itself into a first-class police service.