If Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's decision to establish an independent investigation on police brutality, poor service, corruption and other negative traits on the police force was made more than seven years ago, accusations would have been pelted upon him for deliberately creating a bad image of the police force and endangering national security. He may have even been labeled a Marxist, and a stooge for foreign agencies.

For these were the very accusations leveled at nine organisations who set out to organise a Peoples Tribunal or Tribunal Rakyat on Dec 15, 1996 to discuss the very issues of police conduct that have been now pertinently raised. The accusations leveled against the NGOs at the time were made by none other than former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former deputy home ministers Megat Junid and Ong Ka Ting and former inspector-general of police Abdul Rahim Noor.

The nine organisations, Suaram, Aliran, Bar Council, Centre for Orang Asli Concerns, Community Development Centre, DAP Socialist Youth, Jawatankuasa Sokongan Peneroka Bandar, Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Youth Section and Tenaganita had little choice but to call off the event when they were warned with the dreadful prospects of being arrested under the ISA, together with anyone who attended the event.