The Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) Bill, which covers 21 government agencies, was tabled for first reading in Parliament today.

The Malay name for EAIC is Suruhanjaya Integriti Agensi Penguatkuasa, or Siap.

This new body originated from a proposal for an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) which mutated to a weaker Special Complaints Commission (SCC) after the government back-pedalled on the concept.

bad police officers The powerful IPCMC was recommended by a royal panel of inquiry on police operations to wipe out corruption and abuse of power in the police force.

The government, giving in to police objections, came up with the SCC Bill - one that has less power and which covers all other enforcement agencies as well.

However, the SCC Bill ran into a wall of criticism from human rights groups and opposition parties.

They argued that the proposed body was a "completely different animal" to the original IPCMC and that the SCC Bill was a watered-down version of the one envisioned by the royal panel.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who has vowed to push through a number of reforms before he retires later this month, is now making his final attempt with the Siap Bill.

Commission has no enforcement powers

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz had previously revealed that the proposed commission would not have decision making powers.

The commission can only make recommendations to the relevant authorities after completing its investigations.

"The relevant agencies will be given a time frame to act. If no action is taken, the findings of the investigation will then be made public," he said.

"The police, for instance, would then be forced to take action due to strong public pressure."

Nazri added that, according to the federal constitution, any punitive action against errant government officers can only be taken by the agencies concerned, and not by a new body such as Siap.

"(To do that) we have to amend the constitution but the government doesn’t have two-thirds majority in Parliament for this," he said.

It is believed that the government has balked at amending the constitution as it fears that the opposition could turn it into a vote of no confidence against Abdullah.

SCC vs IPCMC: Check out the difference