SUARAM views the latest complaint by S Mogan, 42 years old; (20 February 2012) who alleged that, he was tortured and beaten with a gun pointed to his head to force a confession is clearly shows the clear abuse of power by the enforcement agencies.

Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) strongly condemns the violation of human rights principles and mistreatment on S Mogan by the police and the RELA. This is not the first time an allegation of abuse of powers and torture were reported on the police and RELA; we are strongly in view that abuses of powers by the police and RELA will continue to happen unless there is a system of accountability as an oversight mechanism on the power of the enforcement authorities.

"SUARAM remains concerned over this continuation of culture of impunity by the enforcement agencies, exacerbated by the failure of the government to implement a credible oversight mechanism. SUARAM questions the government on the delay over the implementation of Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission Act that was passed by Parliament recently. We view the delay on the establishment of the Commission is critical and exposes the government’s lack of political will to establish professionalism of these agencies and of human rights protection," said SUARAM Executive Director, Nalini Elumalai.

SUARAM is of the view that despite its call for IPCMC to monitor the duties and complaints on the police, we are also of the view that similar mechanism must be placed to oversee other law enforcement agencies.

"SUARAM calls on the government to investigate and conduct an inquest into this complaint immediately. The involved policeman and the RELA officers should be suspended until investigations have been completed and must be punished for this crime,” Nalini added.

SUARAM stands firm in our demand to establish an independent body to monitor enforcement agencies. We also express our protest over the involvement of RELA in public policing duties as the agency lacks the professionalism and legal procedures in handling such matters. Besides that, SUARAM also calls on the government to ratify few primary international instruments of human rights, namely The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Convention against Torture (CAT), which had also been recommended by SUHAKAM in their first annual report in 2000.