KUALA LUMPUR: The government plans to establish an independent agency to investigate enforcement agencies whenever an allegation or report is lodged against them.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said this would ensure greater transparency and accountability among enforcement agencies when an investigation is conducted.
He said there was a need for improvement in the practice of enforcement agencies investigating themselves whenever complaints were lodged against them.
He added that is why there had been suggestions for an independent body like the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) to be formed.
However, he said the government wanted this to be expanded to include other enforcement authorities like the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC), Immigration and Customs Department.
"Why only police...we also need to have an independent agency similar to the IPCC to investigate the other enforcement agencies.
"That is why we have asked the Attorney General's Office (AGC) to review this and ensure they don't investigate themselves," he said when responding to a question posed by Gobind Singh Deo (Pakatan Harapan - Puchong).
Gobind in his supplementary question asked the Tambun lawmaker if there are any mechanisms by the government to tackle corruption complaints against high ranking officers from enforcement agencies such as the MACC.
It was previously reported that the IPCC will be in force starting July 1.
In a Parliamentary written reply, the Home Ministry said it is waiting for the approval of staffing and allocation for the establishment of the commission.
This was in response to DAP Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng's question on the status of the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).
It has been close to two decades since the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) recommended the setting up of the IPCMC.
The closest it came to fruition was when the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government tabled the IPCMC Bill in 2019.
It however received criticisms and the Bill was sent for review by a Parliamentary select committee (PSC).
The Bill was later replaced when Perikatan Nasional (PN) took the government, with the Independent Police Conduct Commission Bill.