HUMAN RIGHTS “No Answers, No Apology” Police Abuses and Accountability in Malaysia WATCH “No Answers, No Apology” Police Abuses and Accountability in Malaysia Copyright © 2014 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-62313-1173 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. We stand with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice. We investigate and expose human rights violations and hold abusers accountable. We challenge governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices and respect international human rights law. We enlist the public and the international community to support the cause of human rights for all. Human Rights Watch is an international organization with staff in more than 40 countries, and offices in Amsterdam, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Goma, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Nairobi, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo, Toronto, Tunis, Washington DC, and Zurich. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org APRIL 2014 ISBN: 978-1-62313-1173 “No Answers, No Apology” Police Abuses and Accountability in Malaysia Glossary .......................................................................................................................... 1 Map of Malaysia .............................................................................................................. 2 Summary ......................................................................................................................... 3 Key Recommendations ................................................................................................... 14 Methodology ................................................................................................................. 16 I. The Royal Malaysia Police ........................................................................................... 17 Royal Commission on Police Reform ....................................................................................... 21 II. Human Rights Violations by Police ............................................................................. 24 Malaysian and International Legal Standards on Use of Force ................................................. 24 Excessive Use of Force: Shooting of Suspects ......................................................................... 27 Deaths in Custody .................................................................................................................. 43 Torture and Other Ill-Treatment by Police ............................................................................... 62 Excessive Use of Force during Rallies ..................................................................................... 66 III. Lack of Transparency and Meaningful Accountability ................................................ 76 Police Internal Review Mechanisms ........................................................................................ 77 Prosecutions ......................................................................................................................... 80 Civil Damages ......................................................................................................................... 85 External Review Mechanisms ................................................................................................. 86 Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) ................................................................... 89 Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 95 To the Government of Malaysia ............................................................................................... 95 To the Inspector General of Police ........................................................................................... 97 To the Attorney General ........................................................................................................ 101 To the Office of High Commissioner on Human Rights............................................................ 101 Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................... 102 Appendix A: ................................................................................................................. 103 Letters to Agencies of the Government of Malaysia Requesting Data ............................ 103 Appendix B: Information Received from the Royal Malaysian Police Criminal Investigation Department ................................................................................................................. 109 Appendix C: Information Received from the Attorney General’s Office on Cases Involving Police Suspects ............................................................................................................ 112 Appendix D: Letter from Royal Malaysian Police on Police Training in Human Rights Topics .......................................................................................................................... 122 Glossary AG Attorney General AGC Attorney General’s Chambers ASP Assistant Superintendent of Police CID Criminal Investigation Division CPC Criminal Procedure Code DAP Democratic Action Party DDA Dangerous Drugs (Special Measures) Act 1985 DBKL Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur City Hall EAIC Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission EO Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969 FRU Federal Reserve Unit IGP Inspector General of Police IGSO Inspector General Standing Order IPCMC Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission ISA Internal Security Act LRT Light Rail Transit MACC Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission MMC Malaysian Medical Council MOU Memorandum of Understanding NFA No Further Action PCA Prevention of Crime Act 1959 PAS Parti Islam Se-Malaysia, Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party PDRM Polis Diraja Malaysia, Royal Malaysia Police PRS Police Reporting System RELA Ikatan Relawan Rakyat Malaysia, Malaysian People’s Volunteer Corps RM Malaysian Ringgit (RM 1 equals US$0.30) RMP Royal Malaysia Police SDR Sudden Death Report SOP Standard Operating Procedure SOSMA Security Offenses (Special Measures) Act Suhakam Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Malaysia, Malaysian Human Rights Commission UMNO United Malay National Organization 1 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH|APRIL 2014 Map of Malaysia “NO ANSWERS, NO APOLOGY” 2 Summary I ask Allah how my son felt when he saw a gun at his forehead, knowing he was about to die. Was he crying, screaming, “Don’t kill me?” —Norhafizah, mother of Mohd Shamil Hafiz Shapiei, 15, killed by police in 2010, Kuala Lumpur, April 2012 There is stiff resistance from police when anyone questions them. When we inquire about a case, the police tell us that it’s under investigation and everything is done according to procedures, but we are not given their SOPs [standard operating procedures] or ever told what their investigation found. “Trust us,” they say, “We are taking care of it.” But people want tangible proof of what action they take which is nowhere to be seen. There are no checks and balances. —Investigator at the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM), Kuala Lumpur, May 2012 Police abuse remains a serious human rights problem in Malaysia. Unjustified shootings, mistreatment and deaths in custody, and excessive use of force in dispersing public assemblies persist because of an absence of meaningful accountability for Malaysia’s police force, the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP). Investigations into police abuse are conducted primarily by the police themselves and lack transparency. Police officers responsible for abuses are almost never prosecuted. And despite recent reforms, there is still no effective independent oversight mechanism to turn to when police investigations falter. The result is heightened public mistrust of a police force that has engaged in numerous abuses and blocked demands for accountability. This report examines more than 15 cases of alleged police abuse in Malaysia since 2009, drawing on first-hand interviews, complaints by victims or their families, and news reports. In only a handful of cases has the Malaysian government conducted serious investigations and held accountable those responsible. Government statistics provided to Human Rights Watch show that the majority of prosecutions of the police are for corruption and drug- related offenses and not deaths in custody, ill-treatment, or excessive use of force. 3 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH|APRIL 2014 The Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police (the “Royal Commission”), established in 2004 by the Malaysian king (Yang di- Pertuan Agong), raised serious concerns about police abuses. The Royal Commission received over 900 complaints of abuse including deaths in custody, physical and psychological abuse of detainees, misuse of administrative detention laws, abuse of power, and systematic lack of accountability and transparency. In 2005, the Royal Commission issued its report with 125 recommendations, including that the government amend relevant laws to make them comply with international human rights standards, and take steps to eradicate corruption, enhance investigative policing, and improve police support and