The Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) will help curb police abuse and improve accountability, said human rights organisation (Suaram) today.

"Without such an independent monitoring body, the black sheeps in the force will continue to resort to violence with impunity and tarnish the entire reputation of the police force.

"We call on the government to implement the IPCMC without further delay," said Suaram coordinator Chang Lih Kang in a statement.

He was responding to the video clip aired by TV3's Bulletin Utama on Sunday which showed two youths being allegedly assaulted by police officers.

The four-minute clip, which also showed a youth being forced to lick his saliva off the floor, is believed to have been recorded using a mobile phone by another officer.

Three police officers from Kuala Lumpur's Putra Heights police station have been suspended after their statements were recorded in connection with the incident.
One of them is said to be the person who filmed the alleged assault.

"The worst part of this disgraceful incident is that it appears to have happened in a police station that is tasked to protect the citizen," said Chang.

He also took Deputy Internal Security Minister Mohd Johari Bahrum to task for appearing to be more interested in controlling the use of mobile phones in 'sensitive areas' as opposed to taking action against the perpetrators.

He said the latest incident was just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more similar cases without video evidence.

"The incident has once again proven that the current internal disciplinary system within the police force is ineffective in dealing with police abuses," he added.

Three cops suspended

Yesterday, Amnesty International Malaysia also urged the government to set up the IPCMC following the latest incident.

The IPCMC was first proposed by the Royal Police Commission - set up on the instructions of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi - to provide recommendations on how to improve the police force.

Despite Abdullah giving it the green light, the proposal initially met stiff resistance from the police and certain Umno politicians.

According to the government, the Attorney-General's Chambers is currently in the final stages of studying the proposal.

Meanwhile, a woman who was forced to perform nude squats while in police custody last year has filed a lawsuit against the government for "negligence".

The suit, which was filed in the Kuala Lumpur High Court today, is demanding damages of at least RM250,000 over the incident which had triggered a national furore.

The case emerged in June 2005 when a video clip of the incident was shown by opposition parliamentarian Teresa Kok to reporters in Parliament.

The woman, which the mainstream media had originally identified as a Chinese national, caused a strain in relations with Beijing.

After the government had apologised to China, the woman was named as Hemy Hamisa Abu Hassan Saari, a 23-year-old Malay Malaysian.