For two years, she challenged the police over her son's death in custody and to claim his body. Today, G Sara Lily, the mother of Francis Udayappan, is entering politics.

Four months after the funeral, the former tea-lady has chosen a political platform to campaign for greater transparency in the police force.

"I don't want this to happen to any other person's children," Sara Lily told a press conference yesterday to announce her entry into opposition party Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

She also handed over 40 membership forms to Women's chief Fauziah Salleh at the party headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, on behalf of friends and supporters, most of whom are women.

Sara Lily, who will lead the newly-formed Bandar Baru Sentul branch, said she had chosen Keadilan because it had steadfastly supported her cause.

Vice-president R Sivarasa said Sara's personality and courage is representative of the party's struggle against cruelty.

He reiterated calls for the immediate formation of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to increase effeciency and transparency in the police force.

"If we had the IPCMC then (at the time of Francis' death), this tragedy might have been avoided," he said.

PKR Youth vice-chief S Manikavasagam said a VCD documenting Sara Lily's tussle with the police over Francis' body would be distributed at the party's annual congress in Penang next month.

Sara Lily has maintained that police were involved in killing Francis and dumping his body into the Klang river after he had been detained on suspicion of theft.

The police denied this, saying that Francis had jumped into the river after escaping from the Brickfields police station while being questioned. They later refused to release his remains on grounds of doubt over the identity.

An inquest eventually determined that the body was that of Francis. It ruled out any foul play. but Sara Lily has filed an appeal against this finding.