Bar Council urges government to set up RCI on Wang Kelian

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Bar Council has called on the government to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate the existence of human trafficking camps and graves in the hilly area of Wang Kelian in Perlis, three years ago.
Its president, George Varughese, said investigations should also include the allegations of involvement, corruption and attempts to cover up the existence of the camps and graves by law enforcement agencies and identifying the masterminds involved.
"The call was among resolutions passed at the 72nd Annual General Meeting of the Malaysian Bar held in the capital city today," the Bar Council said in a statement on Saturday.
"We also urge the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) to carry out an inquiry on alleged violations of human rights in the case and to submit a report on the investigations, findings and conclusions," he said.
He said the call was made following the New Straits Times report on Dec 20 last year which stated that there was a massive, coordinated plan to cover up the presence of the camps and graves as well as investigations surrounding them.
He said the Bar Council also urged the government, especially the Home Ministry, to enhance the investigation team's expertise in identifying, detaining and prosecuting parties involved in human trafficking activities and to strengthen the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) teams further.
Meanwhile, Varughese was re-elected as Bar Council president for the 2018/2019 term while Abdul Fareed Abdul Gafoor was elected as vice president.
Fifteen motions were moved, one of them pertaining to prohibition on serving of alcohol at the Council's functions was not adopted, because it was not consistent with the Legal Profession Act 1976.
The council adopted a resolution on abolishing the mandatory death sentence in the country. — Bernama