Teoh Beng Hock activists file complaint with IPCC

 

FMT:

Teoh Beng Hock activists

file complaint with IPCC

FMT Reporters

-25 Jul 2024, 01:56 PM

The association also sent a letter to home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail demanding compensation for property damage during the scuffle with police.

8

SHARES

Total Views: 851

Ng Yap Hwa, chairman of the Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement, speaking to the media outside the home ministry in Putrajaya today.

PETALING JAYA: 

The Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement has submitted a letter to the Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) urging the body to investigate alleged police violence during the group’s march to Parliament earlier this month.

The association said it also sent a letter to home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail demanding RM2,606 to replace a necklace and three placards allegedly damaged during a scuffle with police at its July 15 rally.

In the letter to IPCC chairman Zolkopli Dahlan, the association’s chairman Ng Yap Hwa claimed two people were assaulted by the police and fell to the ground when a handful of members tried to gain access to Parliament to deliver a memorandum after a three-day march from Shah Alam.

We believe the conduct of the police officers on that day constitutes misconduct under Section 22(1)(b) of the Independent Police Conduct Commission Act 2022, as their actions were ‘unreasonable, unjust, oppressive or improperly discriminatory’,

 said Ng.

In the letter, a rally participant, Wong Voon How, alleged that a police officer deliberately pushed him to the ground.

Another participant, Liau Pin Chun, said a policewoman forcibly grabbed her collar and necklace, causing her to choke and suffer breathing difficulties. She also said the incident left ligature marks on her neck and damaged her necklace.

Beng Hock’s sister, Lee Lan, said Liau’s altercation with the policewoman caused her to fall to the ground.

The trio said the police officers had committed various offences under the Penal Code, including assault, criminal force, intentional injury, wrongful restraint, and endangering the life or safety of others.

All three asked IPCC to open criminal investigations into the incidents and for Saifuddin to apologise and offer compensation.

The police should have used more civilised means to handle such incidents and allowed us to submit the memorandum,

 said Ng.

We hope that such incidents will not occur again, and for the police to respect the public’s right to voice their concerns.

The letters were received by one of the home ministry’s corporate communications officers.

In 2009, Beng Hock, a former aide to then Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, hours after he had arrived for questioning on the 14th floor of the Selangor MACC headquarters.

A coroner’s inquest in 2011 delivered an open verdict and his family subsequently filed an appeal against the findings. Three years later, the Court of Appeal set aside the open verdict and ruled that Beng Hock’s death was caused by multiple injuries as a result of unlawful acts by unknown persons.

The IPCC handles complaints and investigations into alleged police misconduct. It also advises the government on matters related to the police force’s integrity.

In January, Saifuddin said the IPCC has the power to kickstart an investigation in the public interest without referring to any party or report.

It will then make a recommendation to the police force commission on the action that should be taken against officers who break the law.