an appeal letter to the DM of internal security

this, from the suaram mailing list was dated 28 june but i just saw it today in my mailbox as i opt for bulk digest forwarding. do your part to forward this or simply add your name and mail to AI.
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28th June 2006

Amnesty International
Human Rights & Policing Action

Malaysia: Lack of transparency in the implementation of the Royal Police Commission’s recommendations

On 16 May 2005, the Royal Commission released its 607-page report which made 125 recommendations of improvements to the police force including sweeping reforms to eliminate corruption and human rights abuses, and called for the setting up of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC)

In June 2005 the government formed five sub-committees to conduct a detailed study into the recommendations. These included a sub-committee on laws and regulations, human resources management, logistic and finance, premises and building as well as work ethics and management modernization. The sub-committees did not have a stipulated time frame to report back.

The Prime Minister stated in January 2006 that 81 (65%) of the recommendations have been implemented. Another 19 recommendations have yet to be implemented (15%) and a remaining 25 (20%) are still being studied. No details of which recommendations have been implemented were made public.

In a Parliamentary answer submitted by the Internal Security Ministry, on the 21 March 2006, on questions as to the status of the recommendations, the Ministry merely furnished Parliament with a simple chart stating whether they had implemented it or not. There were no details or commentary on the specific recommendations

In May 2006 the police made known its objection to the setting up of the IPCMC when it published on its website ten reasons why the IPCMC was not needed.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

Please put your name at the end of the letter & E-mail it back to us (ua@aimalaysia.org) and we will fax it for you

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Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum

Deputy Minister of Internal Security

Internal Security Ministry, Blok D2, Parcel D,

Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan,

62546 Putrajaya

28th June 2006

Dear Minister,

IMPLEMENT THE ROYAL POLICE COMMISSION’S RECOMMENDATIONS

It has been more than a year since the Royal Police Commission released its 607-page report which made 125 recommendations of improvements to the police force including sweeping reforms to eliminate corruption and human rights abuses, and called for the setting up of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

I am writing to express concern that there has been a lack of transparency in the process of implementation of the Royal Police Commission s recommendations.

I call on your ministry to make public details of which recommendations have been implemented and which are being studied

I also call on the Malaysian government to start implementing the recommendations made in the report, especially the setting up of the IPCMC and the recommendations made in Chapters 8 & 10 which encourages and enhance investigative policing and policing which comply with human rights norms and obligations

Yours sincerely,

(Name/Location)