KUALA LUMPUR: It is critical for the Independent Police Conduct Commission's (IPCC) founding legislation to be amended to grant it enhanced investigative and enforcement powers, said Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram).
Suaram, in its Malaysia Human Rights Report 2024 Overview, launched today, said the IPCC should also be given adequate resources to execute its powers.
It said this was due to the significant inaction on police misconduct where only half of 170 cases were resolved, with corruption and extortion recorded the highest.
"Half of the cases saw no action beyond the initial investigation stage. Some categories, such as sexual violence, saw no reported outcomes at all while corruption and extortion cases had higher rate of resolution.
"This discrepancy underscores inconsistencies in enforcement and accountability measures for different types of misconduct," it said.
The report said that the lack of transparency in police misconduct cases was glaringly evident in the case of e-hailing driver, Ong Ing Keong, who was hit by a royalty security detail, which brought systemic accountability gaps.
It said the probe had dragged on for nearly five months despite evidence, contradicting statements by the Inspector-General of Police and compounded with the light sentence against the perpetrator.
"On a broader scale, the lenient sentence sends a troubling message to the public that misconduct within the law enforcement is acceptable, eroding public trust and accountability," it said.
Another case of police manhandling protestors during the Teoh Beng Hock Trust For Democracy's Walk of Justice Protest on July 15 saw no significant progress.
"This highlights a fundamental limitation of the IPCC. It lacks direct investigative authority in cases governed by internal police regulations and disciplinary mechanisms, significantly undermining its ability to independently address police misconduct - the very purpose of its establishment," it said.
It also said that between July last year and September this year, the IPCC received 466 complaints, but only seven were classified for detailed investigations under Section 25(c) of the IPCC Act, with only two reviewed by the commission.
Separately, Suaram also recorded 92 individuals subjected to chain remand, all of whom were rearrested under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma). Over 80 per cent of them had their remands extended prior to being rearrested.
"Eighty-seven were rearrested under Sosma for organised crime, of which 58 were initially remanded for human trafficking in the Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings case."
On enforced disappearances involving Pastor Raymond Koh and activist Amri Che Mat, Suaram said there was an urgent need for systemic reforms.
"This is to address the failures in the investigative process, transparency, and accountability in the handling of enforced disappearance cases. In both cases, the families have faced significant barriers to transparency and justice, including delays in accessing crucial documents," it said.
Suaram also said police shooting incidents had more than doubled this year to 33 cases, where 29 died, compared to 14 cases last year, with nine individuals killed.
It said there were only five deaths in custody (DIC) so far, marking a drastic reduction of over 60 per cent compared to 14 cases last year, most likely due to underreporting.