Press Statement
Establishment of IPCMC a Step in the Right Direction

18 July 2019

The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center) refers to the draft bill in relation to the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints of Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) which was tabled in Parliament this afternoon. We welcome the Pakatan Harapan government’s commitment to stamping out misconduct stemming from corruption and abuse of power which is deeply entrenched in the police force. We note the provisions embodied in the draft bill which give powers to the Commission to effectively investigate and hold perpetrators to account.

We also note the provisions which seek to empower the Commission to initiate investigations on its own accord and order any action it deems fit, including suspension of allowances and increments, and demotion and dismissal in the event a member of the police force is found guilty of wrongdoing.

We also applaud the move to recognise the need to protect individuals who have come forward to assist the Commission in discharging its duties. These individuals who may also be whistleblowers should be allowed to seek assistance from elected representatives or civil society organizations. We reiterate our call for the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 and the Witness Protection Act 2009 to be amended to afford effective protection to whistleblowers:

1)     Section 6 of the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 be amended to ensure that disclosure can be made through other means and not just to enforcement agencies.

2)     Section 2 of the Witness Protection Act 2009 be amended to include “whistleblower” in the definition of “witness”.

The government also needs to ensure that the process of appointment of commissioners is open and transparent where members of civil society organizations working on anti-corruption and human rights are actively consulted. The C4 Center stands by as a partner in assisting the Commission in promoting the integrity of the police force.

We would like to emphasize that the establishment of the IPCMC is key to addressing and eventually ending the culture of impunity ingrained in the police force.