Suhakam highlights breaches

(The Star) KUALA LUMPUR: The police should strictly adhere to the statutory right of an arrested person to consult a lawyer in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), says Suhakam.

It also calls on the police to attend relevant training programmes to “expand their understanding of their role in combating crime while respecting human rights”.

These recommendations were in Suhakam’s 2008 Annual Report tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday.

Last year, the commission received 1,136 complaints seeking intervention – 532 on purported violation of human rights and 604 on alleged administrative inefficiency.

However, the number of complaints had been on a steady decline since 2005 when there were 1,342 complaints. The number fell to 1,222 in 2006 and 1,145 in 2007.

The 44 complaints against the police last year related to abuse of remand procedures, such as a suspect being moved from one police district to another for further detention, inaction over reports lodged, alleged brutality during interrogation, and failure to inform family members of an arrest.

As for preventive detention laws, 70 complaints were lodged – 57 relating to the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969, seven to the Internal Security Act (ISA) and six to the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985.

Suhakam said the complaints included allegations that the police resorted to preventive laws to “extract evidence”.

Referring to the ISA detentions of members of the Hindu Rights Action Force, bloggers and some Members of Parliament, said to be for security reasons, Suhakam maintained that no one should be detained without trial, but be charged under the appropriate law if there was sufficient evidence.

Concerned at the rise in complaints with regard to preventive laws, Suhakam said it proposed a closed-door discussion with the relevant agencies on Nov 26 but had to call off the meeting when all declined the invitation to attend.