KUALA LUMPUR, July 19 — DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang said that 14 months in, Malaysia Baharu is taking shape with 18-year-olds allowed to vote in the next general election and the establishment of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).
He commended the police for embracing the IPCMC as an oversight body, 14 years after it was first mooted by the Royal Commission to enhance the operation and management of the police force in 2005.
The IPCMC Bill has been tabled but will be debated at the third Parliamentary sitting this October.
“Concerns that the Bill will be a watered-down version of the recommendation by the Royal Commission have not been borne out,” Lim said in a statement.
He explained that this is because the Bill has retained almost intact the proposals of the Royal Commission.
Lim also praised the three-month period for public feedback and consultation before the Bill is presented to Parliament for the second and third readings.
“I hope that all Bills will henceforth be made public beforehand to allow for feedback and consultation before they are debated and decided by Parliament,” Lim said.
He dismissed claims by the Bill’s opponents, whom he called advocates of “klepto-theocracy”, that its tabling is the result of DAP dominance in the Pakatan Harapan government.
Lim pointed out that the Royal Commission established by then-prime minister Tun Abdullah Badawi in 2004 was headed by “former chief justice, Tun Dzaiddin Abdullah, and its deputy chair was former inspector-general of police Tun Hanif Omar.”
He also praised the Special Cabinet Committee on Anti-Corruption which met yesterday resulting in an announcement by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that steps will be taken to ensure major public service appointments will be referred to the Parliamentary Select Committee.
These include positions such as the Election Commission’s chairman and members, Judicial Appointments Commission, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, as well as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner.
“Dr Mahathir further said after the meeting that 15 per cent, or 17 initiatives, out of the 115 initiatives outlined in the National Anti-Corruption Plan (NACP) have already been implemented.
“Nine in the field of political governance, two for public sector administration, three for the legal and judicial sector, one for law enforcement and two for corporate governance,” Lim said.
He noted that six of the 22 initiatives given priority in the NACP have already been resolved, including three in the governance sector, one for administration, two for public acquisition and one for corporate governance.
“The National Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption Centre should present an annual report to Parliament on the progress of the NACP, which should be examined by the parliamentary committees tasked with the subject of anti-corruption,” he said.
Lim said these recent events indicate the country is transforming into a nation of integrity.
