Action on police critic underlines urgency for change in the force

LETTER | The retaliation by the police on Rama Ramanathan (photo), a regular critic of the force’s unlawful and unprofessional conduct, underlines the centrality and urgency of police reform in building a nation that is based on rule of law, good governance and human rights.

We, the civil society groups, urge the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission to call Rama to give his testimony both on the case he exposes and the retaliation he endures. This is to send a clear signal that no one in the police force enjoys impunity from public scrutiny and legitimate criticism. The commission must be implemented without dilution to end such impunity.

Rama was called in for investigation for exposing a possibly failed attempt of enforced disappearance involving a young human rights defender from Sabah, Jufazli Shi Ahmad, http://write2rest.blogspot.com/2019/10/this-sister-may-have-foiled-attempt-by.html, followed by a raid on his apartment to confiscate his smartphone and notebook computer.

Intended to intimidate and silence Rama and fellow human rights defenders, this act of retaliation is a reminder that police reform is the biggest failure in the Pakatan Harapan’s agenda of institutional improvements, with colossal implications on governance and economy.

It raises the question of whether the democratically-elected government is in full control and it can uphold the rule of law if this hurts the vested interests of some elements in the police.

And if elements in the police force can break laws, lives and families to pursue their greed or bigotry or cover up their crimes, what is left of the rule of law? How can honest citizens and businesses live fearlessly by abiding law? What moral ground and credibility does the government have to ask aliens and foreign businesses to abide by its laws?

Persistent, rigorous and courageous, Rama, the spokesperson of Citizens Against Enforced Disappearance, has been monitoring misconduct and abuse of power committed by members of the police since the abduction of Pastor Koh and alleged Shite activist Amri Che Mat, for which the NGO was founded.

Rama's blog http://write2rest.blogspot.com/ provides perhaps the most professional, detailed and engaging write-up on hearing and inquiries of police misconduct. He captures nuances and provides context to testimonies of victims, witnesses and officers - often heart-wrenching with ghastly accounts of tortures - that show how law enforcement officers break laws, lives and families as if they are guaranteed impunity.

With some of his closest relatives having served in the police force before, Rama is no hater of the force. Quite the opposite, he criticises the police to uphold justice not just for the victims of police violence and misconduct, but also for the honest men and women whose good names and honour are continuously tainted by the black sheep in their midst. He also wants rank-and-file police officers to be paid fair salaries, commensurate with the risk they take and sacrifice they make.

Rama is a self-appointed ally of Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Abdul Hamid Bador, who had vowed to clean up the force. Once removed for speaking out on the 1MDB scandal, the IGP was a victim of criminal elements in the force.

We are disappointed that the IGP allows – whether actively or passively – the retaliation on Rama. We call upon every patriotic Malaysian to stand up, not just for Rama, but also for a clean, respectable and decently-paid police force.

This is a joint statement from more than 40 civil society organisations. 

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.