That is the question that the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) posits in a new study on the powers held by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).
“The Royal Malaysia Police has been criticised by various sections of society and at times these criticisms are unfair.
“A decentralisation of powers can help reduce these criticisms,” IDEAS Chief Executive Wan Saiful Wan Jan said about the report called Strengthening the Royal Malaysia Police by Enhancing Accountability.
In the study, IDEAS describes how the IGP has been given various powers, either by law or institutional design.
“So, we have recommended how the police force can ensure the public continues to support the IGP in the exercise of his powers through decentralising some of those powers.
“Decentralisation, or the practice of empowering those who are lower in the power structure, is commonplace in most developed countries.
“Most institutions that decentralise enjoy higher levels of public confidence,” Wan Saiful said, attributing it to people not being as worried about just one person having too much power.
In the report, IDEAS also provides the breadth and range of powers available to the IGP currently.
Aside from overseeing 153,122 police officers, the IGP has jurisdiction over all police-related matters from traffic enforcement to anti-terrorism.
“We also highlight laws that further consolidate the IGP’s powers, including the Sedition Act 1948 and the recent National Security Council Act 2016”, Wan Saiful said.
“It is natural for the public to be concerned over these extensive powers especially when you consider the IGP’s powers to do so many things.
“So, we need to remove the unnecessary doubts and this can be achieved if the IGP delegates some of those powers and responsibilities.”
The Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) proposed by former Chief Justice Dzaiddin Abdullah in 2005 was also addressed in the IDEAS report.
“In our paper, we repeated the call to establish IPCMC, as it is particularly important as Malaysian society now demands more public scrutiny and greater accountability from all authorities, including the police.”
Wan Saiful said the results of the study by IDEAS and the recommendations had all been submitted to the current IGP Khalid Abu Bakar before making it public today.
“We will soon send it to the Home Ministry, and will continue engaging with both the police and ministry,” he said.