Speaking to FMT, Amnesty International Malaysia (AIM) said it hoped Fuzi would improve on the force’s accountability measures, especially on deaths in police custody, torture and ill-treatment of people in police detention.
“With the new leadership, there is an opportunity to bring police processes in line with international standards,” said AIM executive director Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu.
Over the past 17 years, there have been 280 deaths in custody, with the majority of the deaths attributed to health reasons.
Most recently, one high-profile death in custody was that of S Balamurugan, 44, who suffered multiple injuries to the chest, head, legs and back, which then triggered a heart failure.
He died in police custody on Feb 8 at the North Klang police station. According to news reports, he was found with his face badly swollen and bleeding.
The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission has conducted a hearing into Balamurugan’s death and is expected to release its report.
Shamini also said that AIM hopes Fuzi will ensure more meaningful consultation with civil society groups on various human rights issues, including police conduct during public rallies and gatherings.
Bersih 2.0 chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah said she hoped Fuzi can restore public confidence in the police by rooting out corruption in the force.
She said Fuzi could do this by implementing the recommendations of the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into police reforms, chaired by former chief justice Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah in 2004.
The RCI had, among other things, called for an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to be set up to provide an appropriate external check-and-balance on the police.
“I hope Fuzi will set higher standards for the police to make the force more credible, efficient and trustworthy.”
Citizen Action Group on Enforced Disappearance (CAGED) spokesperson Thomas Fann hoped that Fuzi will put more resources into solving cases of missing people.
“Despite the resources available to the police, we have unresolved cases of missing people, including Pastor Raymond Koh, Pastor Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth, and Perlis-based social activist Amri Che Mat.”
Koh’s abduction is one of this year’s high-profile unresolved cases.
The 62 year old was abducted in broad daylight by a group of masked men less than 100 metres from the Police Housing Complex in SS4, Kelana Jaya, on Feb 13.
Joshua and Ruth were last seen on Nov 30 last year and Amri has been missing since Nov 24 last year.
Fann said he also hoped Fuzi will communicate directly with family members of those who have gone missing.
“We hope that he will ensure the family members are updated directly. They shouldn’t have to receive updates through the media.”
Yesterday, Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim called on Fuzi to depoliticise the Malaysian police.
He said this urgent task should be executed during Fuzi’s first week in office in order to return people’s confidence in the force.
He also urged Fuzi to bring an end to deaths in custody and resolve the abduction of Koh and disappearances of Joshua, Ruth and Amri.
Yesterday, Fuzi, who was formerly Special Branch director, was appointed the country’s 11th IGP, replacing Khalid Abu Bakar, who turns 60 tomorrow.