Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews/SCMP) - It is back to the classroom for 170 of Malaysia's most senior police officers - to learn the basics of human rights. Sending the officers, all heads of police districts, back to school is the latest government step following a Royal Commission last year which recommended 170 steps to improve the police force, some of whose procedures have remain unchanged for decades.
"Some of them have no idea what human rights is all about," Inspector-General of Police Bakri Omar said when launching the two-week course yesterday. "That is why they arrested 10 elderly men and shaved them bald for playing mahjong," he said, referring to a recent case of police abuse that outraged the nation.
Nine of the victims agreed to "settle" the case after top officers met them and offered tea and "deep regrets", and a promise to punish the errant officer. One victim plans to file a case for damages.
Mr Bakri repeatedly referred to the incident, saying he came under severe pressure from Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and opposition lawmakers to bring the force into line. "After this, if you still do not understand [about human rights], then you might as well look for another job," he said. "We don't want stupid officers any more."
The fundamentals of human rights are taught in schools, but have not been part of police training until now. An independent body to punish errant officers, a key commission proposal, has still not been set up, however.
Opposition lawmaker Lim Kit Siang said Mr Bakri's remarks indicated the top brass was serious about changing police culture, but demanded that the police oversight body be formed without delay.
