Nude squat probe finds no impropriety by officers

The two Singaporeans were detained for driving through an unmanned Immigration inspection lane.

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 5 — The Immigration Department’s probe into a recent nude squat incident involving two Singaporean women has found that its officers exercised their responsibilities in a “good and orderly” fashion, the Home Ministry said today. In a written response to Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah), the ministry said the women were examined by a female officer, as required under the department’s standard operating procedures (SOP).
Fong had urged the ministry to furnish the full details of the probe, including why the women were forced to perform nude squats, how they had passed the Johor immigration officials without being checked and the number of such incidents.
The ministry explained that the women were detained on June 9 under Section 6(1)(C) of the Immigration Act for entering Malaysia without a valid pass.
According to the probe, the women had entered Malaysia without being checked as the department’s counter had been closed.
“At the time, there were no immigration officials on duty at the counter,” said the ministry.
The women were then brought to the Pekan Nanas detention depot and were made to undergo standard “inspection procedures”, which were carried out by female immigration officials.
“According to the investigation, the officials involved in the inspection ensured that their responsibilities and duties were carried out in a good and orderly fashion,” the ministry concluded.
According to a Singapore Straits Times report on June 14, the two women who drove to Johor Baru for supper on July 9 were questioned by Malaysian immigration officials, handcuffed, thrown behind bars and made to do squats while naked.
The two women claimed they drove through uninspected because the immigration lane was unmanned, and that no one answered the intercom.
Following their punishment, they were allowed to return to Singapore after 48 hours with a warning.
Both women have reportedly vowed never to return to Malaysia after the incident, which drew criticism from opposition MPs who called the act “humiliating and ridiculous.”
The ST added that one of the women, known as Chang, would be taking legal action.
The Malaysian Immigration Department suspended two officers following the incident but it insists that the detention was legal under the Immigration Act as they had entered the country without passing through biometric fingerprint checks.
The Malaysian Insider reported on June 29 that a special multi-agency panel had concluded its investigations into the nude squat incident after the republic submitted written reports from their affected citizens.
“The written reports have been handed over to Malaysian authorities,” a source told The Malaysian Insider.
It is also understood that the island state has demanded an explanation from Malaysia after an earlier request for details concerning the case.
The incident also caused a furore in during the last Parliament session, with opposition MPs from DAP demanding an explanation from the Home Ministry.

Nude squats in PJ: Woman gets compensation

by The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR - The Malaysian government has agreed to compensate the woman who was videotaped performing nude squats while being held for drug possession in a Petaling Jaya police station six years ago.

A settlement was reached between the government and Ms Hemy Hamisa Abu Hasan Saari, 28, at the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday. However, the amount agreed upon by the government, the constable who recorded the video and the mother of three was not disclosed.

Ms Hemy initially sought RM10 million (S$4.1 million) in damages when she filed her civil suit in 2005.

The widely-circulated video resulted in a royal commission of inquiry, which called the practice a violation of human rights and Islamic principles.

Although the government said that it would ban the practice, two Singaporean women were subjected to nude squats in June this year after they had crossed the Johor border without going through immigration. They claimed that they drove past the checkpoint as there was no officer manning their lane.

The Home Ministry is still probing the diplomatic incident, which has seen two immigration officers suspended so far.