All the national and state honours conferred on former Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Rahim Noor should be withdrawn as one of the five proposals to restore public confidence in the independence, professionlism and integrity of the police force

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Media Statement
by Lim Kit Siang 

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He said this must be done with full honesty, sincerity and responsibility as unprofessional conduct among police officers could threaten peace and security of the country.

He said: "Although a small number of policemen are involved in unhealthy activities, we do not want the majority, who are disciplined, to be ridiculed or condemned."

The Deputy Prime Minister’s strictures have failed to make any impact to restore the badly-shattered public confidence in the police, as it was  in the very inner sanctum of Bukit Aman that one of the most heinous police misdeeds in the entire history of the Malaysian police was committed 18 months ago - the assault of a defenceless, blind-folded and handcuffed former Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to within an inch of his life by the then Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Rahim Noor, who subsequently lied to the whole country that Anwar was "safe and well" when he was in fact denied medical attention for five days after the assaults.

Public confidence in the independence, professionalism and integrity of the police force suffered another major blow when Rahim Noor was treated so leniently in court with the amendment of the earlier charge of attempting to cause grievous hurt entailing a maximum jail sentence of three-and-a-half years or fine or both to one of causing hurt with maximum jail sentence of one year and the light sentence of two months’ jail and RM2,000 fine.

Malaysians are also outraged by the discriminatory treatement given to Rahim Noor as compared to Anwar Ibrahim, who was denied bail from the first day of his arrest and during trial, while Rahim Noor was given VIP treatment - not even having to be handcuffed!

Where is the justice and fair play when social activists like the Penang  SOS (Save Ourselves) secretary Ong Boon Keong and Ooi Chuan Seng were handcuffed when arrested for trying to champion the plight of the tenants of pre-war premises by peaceful means  while Rahim Noor was never handcuffed although he nearly killed the former Deputy Prime Minister with his karate chops?

The Home Minister and the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Norian Mai should realise that the Police have not made much headway to restore public confidence in its independence, professionalism and integrity, and the following five proposals are among the steps that must be taken urgently  if the Police wants to  achieve this result:
 

• Proclamation of a Police Charter to affirm commitment of  the Police Force to promote the  democratic way of life and to uphold the fundamental liberties of Malaysians, which is one of the dedicated objectives of the nation enshrined in the Rukunegara.
• Appointment of an Independent Police Ombudsman to receive and investigate all public complaints about abuses of power by the police - giving a proper and satisfactory account on all the reports about trigger-happy police shootings.  The last Parliament was informed in April last year that 635 people had been shot dead by the police in the past ten years. A full report must be made on whether innocent people had been  killed in these 635 cases and giving an update of these cases.
• Formation of a Parliamentary Committee on Police independence, professionalism and integrity submitting annual reports to Parliament to make recommendations as to how public confidence in the police as friend of the people and upholder of the law must always be maintained at the highest level.
• Withdrawal of all national and state honours conferred on former Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Rahim Noor as a lesson to all police officers of the gravity of  taking the law into their  own hands.
• Immediate increase of at least 50 per cent of the salaries of the lowest ranks in the police force to ensure a minimum wage of RM800 a month to bring about  a clean, honest, efficient and professional police force.