Former IGP to head Bersih 3.0 independent panel
May 09, 2012
PUTRAJAYA, May 9 — Tun Hanif Omar was named today as the head of a six-man independent panel to investigate allegations of police violence against journalists and other participants of last month’s Bersih 3.0 rally for electoral reforms.
Besides the former Inspector General of Police, the other members of the panel are former Chief Judge of Borneo Tan Sri Steve Shim, Sinar Harian managing director Datuk Hussamuddin Yaacub, legal adviser to Media Chinese International Liew Peng Chuan, Petronas corporate affairs senior general manager Datuk Medan Abdullah and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia psychology Prof Dr Ruszmi Ismail.
Former Inspector General of Police, Tun Hanif Omar. — file pic
Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, who announced the names today, said the panel was expected to convene its first meeting to set its terms of reference in the next few days.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had pledged last week that “credible, experienced and respectable” individuals would form the independent panel tasked with investigating allegations of police brutality.
Najib added that he, along with the entire government and members of the public, are keeping a close eye on investigations into the allegations that journalists, both local and foreign, had been roughed up during the rally for free and fair elections.
Six local pressmen and about 12 photographers and journalists from the foreign media were reportedly assaulted during the fracas on April 28, after the police sprayed water cannons and tear gas to disperse Bersih 3.0 protesters.
Both local and foreign media groups have condemned the hard-handed tactics used on the media, whom they pointed out were merely doing their jobs.
Chaos reigned on the streets of Kuala Lumpur for over four hours after 3pm on April 28 when police fired tear gas and water cannons and chased protesters down the streets of the capital to disperse what had initially started out as a peaceful protest calling for free and fair elections.
The Bar Council has said that its observers found that police brutality at the rally was “magnified” as compared to already chaotic scenes during a similar gathering for free and fair elections last July 9.
Police fired tear gas and water cannons after some demonstrators breached the barricade in front of DBKL and rushed into Dataran Merdeka, which the court had barred the public from entering across that particular weekend.
Police fired as far as the DBKL premises, which are across Jalan Parlimen, and the move broke up the crowd who fled helter-skelter but police chased them down at Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Raja Laut.
In the meantime, Malaysiakini reported:
In an immediate reaction, Bersih coalition co-chairperson Ambiga
Sreenevasan objected to Hanif's appointment and needed somebody independent.
She said she was "deeply horrified by Hanif's appointment",
especially after his recent comments on Bersih 3.0.
Ambiga (left) said, "As a lawyer, Hanif should know that
his previous comments would immediately disqualify him and all the other
former IGPs who made some extreme statements from sitting on the
panel. We trust that he will do the right thing and decline the appointment. In any event it is our view that the government ought to have appointed
Suhakam and accepted the invitation from the UN rapporteur to assist
the inquiring panel."
In another immediate reaction, veteran opposition lawmaker Lim Kit Siang said in a tweet, "He should decline the appointment after his horrific support of Najib's wild allegation on coup d'état attempt or Bersih 3.0 panel will lose all credibility."
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