Call on the Prime Minister to allow BN MPs to vote according to conscience on the IPCMC formation proposal

Media Statement by M Kula Segaran, DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Ipoh Barat in Ipoh on June 6, 2013

Call on the Prime Minister to allow BN MPs to vote according to conscience on the IPCMC formation proposal  

Attorney General Tan Sri Abdual Gani Patail made the right and necessary decision to charge the police officers who had allegedly caused N Dharmendran”s death with murder.

“Based on the evidence gathered through the investigation, I have decided to proffer a murder charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code against the police personnel involved,” Abdul Gani was quoted as saying in a statement yesterday.

 However, what Malaysians want is not only justice for Dhamendran but an effective solution to end the spate of custodial deaths in police lock ups.

 The IPCMC, recommended by the Dzaiddin Report in 2005, was one effective proposal to address the high rate of deaths in police custody.

But till today, despite so many custodial deaths in police lock ups, the government has been unwilling to do what must be done.

From January 2000 to December 2004, 80 cases or an annual average of 16 deaths in police custody had happened in those five years.  From January 2005 to May 2013, there were 141 deaths in police custody.
There were three deaths in just 11 days in the first month after the 13th general elections on May 5.
This has shown that whatever steps that have been taken by the Police have not been effective in ending the spate of custodial deaths.

In my speech made at the DAP Thanksgiving dinner at Cameron Highlands on May 29, I said the following when touching on the spate of custodial deaths in police lock ups: - 

“ In a mature democracy where the principle of  accountability is of utmost importance and priority, such endless spate would have involved the resignations of the nation’s top cop and Home minister, either voluntary or forced.

But such culture of accountability is obviously not the BN government’s political value and practice.

Hence, when two more deaths have happened in the police lock up recently, it will be a miracle to expect the Home Minister or the top cop to hand in their resignations.

But what is most sad and unacceptable is the fact that the government has not taken effective steps in the past to end such spate of deaths.”

Too many deaths have happened. Malaysians are shouting enough is enough. There must not be any inaction or delay in setting up the IPCMC.

It is most disappointing and unacceptable that that yesterday’s Cabinet meeting did not decide to set up the IPCMC.

The Pakatan Rakyat Leadership Council has set up a six-member IPCMC Parliamentary Task Force with the specific objective to establish the IPCMC when the 13th Parliament meets on June 24 for its first meeting.

The MPs on the Pakatan Rakyat IPCMC Parliamentary Task Force are:
M. Kulasegaran (DAP – Ipoh Barat)
Gobind Singh Deo (DAP – Puchong)
N. Surendran – (PKR – Padang Serai)
Shamsul Iskandar – (PKR – Bukit Katil)
Mohamed Hanifa Maidin – (PAS – Sepang)
Siti Mariah Mahmud – (PAS – Kota Raja)

The formation of IPCMC will become a reality if 23 BN MPs join 89 PR MPs to support IPCMC formation.

I therefore call on the Prime Minister who is the government leader of the House to lift the party whip and allow all BN MPs to vote according to their conscience on the IPCMC formation proposal.