Bodycam proposal: Don't treat cops like criminals, says MP

Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim has decried the proposal for enforcement personnel to be equipped with body-mounted cameras as it would be akin to treating them as criminals.

“Do not treat police, immigration and customs officers like Prevention of Crime Act (Poca) criminals.

“The government’s move to introduce body cameras is a move that goes against the human rights of enforcement agencies which consist of civil servants.

“Equipping them with body cameras is a step back, a primitive step in the name of technology gadgets which do not respect the integrity of public servants at all,” Hassan said in a statement today.

Instead, he said, the government should focus on other efforts to prevent bribery, leakages and corruption within the police, immigration and customs.

He urged the Pakatan Harapan government not to give up and “wave the white flag” to the point of equipping their own civil servants with body cameras as if they are “robots who cannot be trusted”.

“The prime minister and the entire cabinet of ministers should realise that police, immigration and customs officers are humans with dignity and self-worth.

“Do not shame them,” Hassan said.

Prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said yesterday that the government is looking at equipping selected enforcement personnel with body cameras as part of its efforts to combat corruption and other alleged abuses of power.

Other measures being considered, Mahathir said, include installing more CCTVs at strategic locations, including at police lock-ups.

Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador has since welcomed the body cameras proposal.

He thanked the government for the move and hoped that it could be realised as soon as possible.

“This body camera will help a lot in the enforcement duties and avoid any misconduct while on duty,” he said.