Call on Abdullah to give categorical answer on IPCMC which is key to the Royal Police Commission�s recommendation on the police No. 1 priority to fight crime when Parliament meets on Monday

_________________
Speech
by Lim Kit Siang  
______________________

 (Ipoh, Friday) The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should give a categorical answer on the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC)  which is key to the Royal Police Commission�s recommendation on the No. 1 police priority to fight crime when Parliament meets on Monday.

On Monday, I will be asking the Prime Minister during question time the latest position on the IPCMC proposal  and whether a Bill for its establishment would be presented to Parliament for its passage at the same meeting.

More than 15 months have passed since the submission of the report of the Royal Commission to create a clean, efficient, professional and world-class police service, but it would appear that its most  important recommendations have been forgotten and  the whole exercise of the Royal Commission  a big  waste of time and public resources.

The Royal Police Commission had commissioned a survey of public opinion of some 600 people, covering all racial groups � 44 per cent Malays,  33 per cent Chinese, 14 per cent Indians. 5 per cent Other Bumiputras and 4% Others.

It found the following: (i)  that 17.6 per cent had been victim of crime; (ii) that only 75.3% of those who had been victims of crime had reported to the police; and (iii) that 89 per cent were �worried� to �extremely worried� about the occurrence of crime in their neighbourhood.

Before my speech, I had conducted a quick poll of these three questions to get a �feel� of the present situation. Out of the over 200 people present, over 70 per cent had been a victim of crime or had a member of the family who had been a victim of crime, more than 50 per cent did not lodge report or almost 100% of the people are worried about crime in their neighbourhood.

If this is a reflection of public opinion, and it cannot be far wrong, then it is serious indicator that the whole crime and law-and-order situation has got worse instead of better despite the Royal Police Commission and its 125 recommendations.

As the Royal Police Commission admitted right from the very beginning of its report, it was established �amidst widespread concerns regarding the high incidence of crime, perception of corruption in the Royal Malaysian Police, general dissatisfaction with the conduct and performance of police personnel, and a desire to see improvements in the service provided by the police.�

This is why among its key recommendations is to �make crime reduction priority No. 1 for PDRM�, which is to be supported by another key proposal for the establishment of the IPCMC to ensure police accountability to ensure that it carries out this priority mission.

We are gathered here tonight because of the tragedy of the snatch-murder of KTAR student Lee Kean Yip in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, snuffing out  the bright future of a 11A-student and the hopes of his father, Lee Mok Kwai and family who are from Ipoh

Despite his grief, Lee is determined to do all he could to ensure that another family would not suffer his grief and loss.

The most effective factor to deter crime is to have a modern, professional and competent police force which could deliver world-class police service to reduce crime, the fear of crime and reassure the people about the safety of the streets, public places and the homes. 

This is why the Royal Police Commission had been formed, but this objective  had clearly not been achieved for the former Deputy Chairman of the Royal Commission as well as former Inspector-General Police, Tun Hanif Omar, had only written last week that even his family is also worried about his personal safety when he goes out of the house.

The time has come for the  redeployment of police personnel to double the percentage of police personnel in fighting crime  � as the present  7 � 8% or some 6,600 of the 95-000 strong police force who are fighting crime is grossly inadequate.

This was another key recommendation of the Royal Police Commission, that the police must launch a concerted drive against crime with a re-deployment of the uniformed police personnel to core policing functions.

The Royal Police Commission Report estimated that an additional 35,000 uniformed police personnel could be immediately released for core policing function to fight crime and the fear of crime in such a redeployment. 

Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Bakri Musa had said early this year that over 80 per cent of the 125 recommendations of the Royal Police Commission had been implemented � but the public have not seen any change for the better, whether in terms of greater police visibility in the streets or improvement in the perception that the battle against crime and the fear of crime is being won.

Beginning this year, the government is allocating RM2 million for development purposes for each parliamentary constituency � but it is given only to Barisan Nasional MPs.

For the three parliamentary constituencies of Ipoh Timur, Ipoh Barat and Batu Gajah, the three DAP MPs, i.e. M. Kulasegaran, Fong Po Kuan and myself, we will write to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Abdullah, to ask that this RM6 million allocation be released for the sole purpose of fighting crime and the fear of crime in the Kinta Valley, for a system of CCTVs as well as other measures � so that the people could be relieved of their fear of crime and see a reduction in crime.

(18/08/2006)