Who will police our policemen?

(FMT) Public outrage is rightfully getting louder and more visible after the 2am death in a police shooting this week of 15-year-old schoolboy Aminulrasyid Azman.

The home minister has quickly made himself prominent by ordering an internal inquiry to be headed by his deputy, supposedly an “open and transparent inquiry without any cover-up or bias”. That’s what he says. We hope he holds to it.

The public are likely to remember that ministers and others in high places loudly insisting they did no wrong were later found to have lied, as in the royal commission into the VK Lingam videos.

And the public will also remember that the commission recommended action be taken to bring those held responsible to trial. And that where the royal commission proposed, the Attorney-General disposed.

Then there is the continuing high-visibility inquest into the death of Teoh Beng Hock at the offices of a law-enforcement agency.

Going by such past experiences, home minister Hishamuddin Tun Hussein’s inquiry will please few except fellow politicians and those concerned merely with upholding a favourable public image of the police force. Unless, of course, it uncovers the truth and firm action results.

So, too, with the Selangor police chief’s promise of a “thorough, fair and open” investigation. But it is conducted by the police themselves, behind closed doors.

Another minister, Noh Omar, as deputy Selangor Umno leader, intends to bring the matter up to the Cabinet.

Scepticism over the government’s ability to control its own agencies stems from the government’s own inadequacies, shown in a variety of events in the past year.

Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/opinion/editorial/4989-police-the-policemen