I was indeed bursting with excitement and joy when I read that the Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir made an announcement that the Government agrees with the use of body cameras in the police force to prevent the abuse of power and misconduct by enforcement officers after speaking raising it in the Dewan Rakyat in 2018 and on CCTVs in lock-ups in 2017 and before that this Government is committed to upholding transparency, accountability, good governance and the rule of law.
I am also immensely grateful that the Minister for Home Affairs Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the Inspector General of Police Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador and now the Chief Commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Latheefa Koya has also joined in the war call in supporting the use of body cameras by even customs officers.
I was elated to also read that defacto Law Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong has also announced that RM73million will be spent to equip video surveillance CCTVs in 756 police lock ups across the country.
This is testimony that with political will and a vision to uphold integrity in the police force, the immigration and also customs, Pakatan Harapan is certainly on the right track on reforms within our police force, immigration and customs.
Body cameras for enforcement officers and functioning CCTVs in lock ups and immigration detention centres as well as in prisons should have been something that had been in place by BN which had ruled for over 60 years but it is indeed no surprise as BN had no respect and had ignored the gravity of the rule of law, integrity, honesty and accountability in its Government.
Attached is my statement on the 17th of September calling for the urgency of using bodycams and a simple guide to the functions and characteristics of the bodycams.