(Petaling Jaya, Friday): I have this morning sent an urgent fax to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad urging him to immediately establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Anwar Ibrahim’s "black eye" and other injuries while under police custody as well as police lawlessness in general to begin the painful process to restore public confidence in the integrity and professionalism of institutions of government in Malaysia.
In my fax to the Prime Minister, I stressed that the establishment of a Royal Commission of Inquiry into Anwar’s "black eye" and other injuries and police lawlessness in general "is the only way to convince Malaysians and the world that the resignation of Tan Sri Rahim Noor as Inspector-General of Police is the beginning of good governance and not another move to evade accountability and responsibility for the police brutalities" against Anwar while under police custody .
I said the establishment of a Royal Commision of Inquiry would demonstrate the government’s "total commitment to conduct highest-level public inquiry into the perpetrators of lawlessness in the very inner sanctum of the police high command in the country".
I told Mahathir that Anwar’s "black eye" and other injuries while under police custody is the "last straw" of police lawlessness which had gravely tarnished the image of integrity and professionalism of the Royal Malaysian Police and shattered public confidence and trust in the police as custodians of law and order in the country.
For this reason, the Royal Commission of Inquiry should also be entrusted with the task of restoring public confidence in the integrity and professionalism of the Malaysian Police, by conducting a full inquiry into all aspects of police lawlessness and abuses of power, including complaints about trigger-happy police shootings like the recent shooting of a pregnant woman during a police operation or innocent bystanders at police roadblocks.
I also suggested to the Prime Minister that the composition of the Royal Commission of Inquiry should be named after consultation with the Opposition to ensure that the membership can enjoy undoubted respect and acceptability, nationally as well as internationally.
(8/1/99)