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Minister: Parliament’s Special Committee needs more time to complete IPCMC Bill amendment

Law minister Datuk Liew Vui Keong today moved a motion in Parliament, requesting time extension for the second tabling of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) Bill 2019. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin
Law minister Datuk Liew Vui Keong today moved a motion in Parliament, requesting time extension for the second tabling of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) Bill 2019. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — Law minister Datuk Liew Vui Keong today moved a motion in Parliament, requesting time extension for the second tabling of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) Bill 2019.

In reading his motion this morning, Liew said that Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Bills Consideration needed time to enable it to address issues concerning the public, with regards to the provisions in the proposed Bill.

“That this meeting takes the stand that the Special Select Committee on Bills Consideration, through a resolution made on Monday, October 7, 2019 should review the Independent Police Complaints Commission Bill 2019 and present a notice containing recommendations for improvements to the said Bill to the House, no later than November 18 this year.

“That the Special Select Committee on Bills Consideration needs more time to enable the Committee to consider issues of public concern more thoroughly and in depth, before preparing and presenting its findings to the House; and that this meeting has decided to extend the date for this Special Select Committee to present a note containing  suggested amendments to the Bill, to the House, no later than Monday, November 25, 2019,” Liew read.

The motion was passed, without much ado from both sides of the political divide in the Dewan Rakyat.

The said special committee was previously given time until November 18 to come up with proposals to tweak the Bill, or to enhance it.

The revision can be done via a special statement or notice, within the Bill.

In October, the IPCMC Bill became the first to be referred to the said committee, to be deliberated and scrutinised in-depth, before being tabled for its second reading and debated in the Dewan Rakyat.

Bernama reported that the decision was made by the Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof, after the tabling of the Bill was met with great resistance and heated arguments from the Opposition, for close to six hours.

The much anticipated IPCMC Bill was tabled for its first reading on July 18. It is intended to replace the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC), to boost police integrity and transparency.

In August, Bernama reported Liew, who is the de facto Law Minister, saying that the second reading is expected to happen before the 2020 Budget presentation.

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