Two Singaporean women were detained and
ordered a strip search by Malaysian authorities. (Yahoo!
Photo)
UPDATE
Malaysia's Home Ministry has yet to receive any official report
on the alleged mistreatment of two Singaporeans by immigration
officers at the Johor Bahru customs checkpoint last week.
As such, Home Ministry Secretary-General Mahmud Ahmad declined
to comment on the matter, according to Malaysian paper Sin Chew
Daily.
However the case -- which saw two Singaporean ladies being
strip-searched and ordered to do squats in the nude while being
detained -- has sparked widespread outrage among Singaporean
netizens.
Since it was first posted late on Tuesday evening, the story has
been shared on Facebook over 3,000 times and drawn over 700
comments.
Some have called for a boycott of shops in Johor Bahru while
others called for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to launch a
proper investigation into the alleged abuse.
Yahoo! Fit-to-Post reader SH commented, "As
consumers and tourists, we should vote with our pockets, boycott
poor service shops and countries which do not appreciate our
tourism dollars."
Another reader Koh wrote, "Is the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs doing something about this ? This is a common trick of
Malaysian Immigration to extort money from Singaporeans. Why do we
need to go to JB to save money. Patronize a country that obviously
do not welcome you?"
Yet others questioned why the two ladies ventured up to Johor
Bahru for supper at such a late hour.
Reader Patriot wrote, "1.30am going to JB for supper
just two ladies ? Must be out of your mind right? Singapore got so
many night haunts for supper and yet you choose JB."
The two Singaporeans in question were reportedly detained by
Malaysian law enforcement officers in Johor
Bahru early last Thursday morning after they were accused of
entering Malaysia illegally.
The pair were also ordered to strip and do squats with their
hands on their ears for 10 times when they were sent to a detention
centre.
The ordeal happened when Lim Lili and Zhan Tingting (not their
real names) drove across the Causeway for supper at about 1:30am.
When they reached the Malaysian customs checkpoint, both women
inadvertently did not get their passports stamped.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, Lim said she had entered a
lane that displayed a green light which signalled that the lane was
in operation.
Lim recalled seeing that the lane had no immigration officer at
the counter and it was at this point that they didn't get their
passports stamped. Zhan then alighted to purchase a "Touch N Go"
prepaid card to pay for their entry into Malaysia.
As it was their first time experiencing the new
biometric scanner at the counter, Lim used the intercom and
tried to ask another officer for help. Both waited at the counter
for five minutes before they decided to move on as Lim thought that
there would be another counter for them to scan their fingers.
But instead, they drove into Johor Bahru without getting their
passports stamped and fingerprints scanned. Realising something was
wrong, Lim drove her car back to the customs to obtain an entry
chop for their passports.
However, when reached the customs at 2am, they were accused of
entering Malaysia illegally and questioned by Malaysian law
enforcement officers.
"When my statement was taken, both of us tried to explain
ourselves and requested for them to check with Singapore's
immigration department to check their departure timings and CCTV
footage to clarify that once we knew there was a mistake, we
quickly turned back," said Zhan.
The officers then curtly informed them of the offence and
punishment, emphasising the RM10,000 (S$4,069) and jail term.
Both women were detained in a room until 5pm on 10 June and were
only allowed to make a phone call each.
One of them called a friend while the other spoke to her
brother, who contacted the Singapore High Commission in Malaysia
and the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"Somebody with a higher rank came and started speaking to us in
Malay. A translator told us if we were
willing to accept a fine of RM3,000 (S$1,220) to resolve the
situation," said Zhan.
"And because we were so tired, we agreed to pay the fine and we
signed an agreement that was in Malay," Zhan added.
Officers led the two women to an ATM machine to withdraw cash to
pay the fine. But the women received another shock when the
officers suddenly said that they will be sent to a detention centre
in Pontian district and will be detained for up to 14 days.
Lim then asked the officers, "I thought we already settled the
case?"
They were later handcuffed and sent to the women's division at
the detention centre. Lim and Zhan met a female officer who ordered
a strip search. Both women were made to strip and do squats with
their hands on their ears for 10 times before they were allowed to
change into their prison uniforms.
Zhan said: "The place was dirty and smelly, the roach-infested
room was two-thirds of the basketball court, no bed, four wooden
walls, with 50 people in it."
"We were treated like criminals even before we were pronounced
guilty, it was humiliating. Most of the detainees were Filipinos
and Indonesians without passports. We were the only
Singaporeans."
After a night in the centre, the officers woke them up at 5am to
do the Islamic morning prayers.
She said in the span of 24 hours, besides eating and praying, we
were stuck in the room. When it was time to eat, we did not have
forks and spoons and ate with our hands. We did not dare to finish
eating, but the rest of the detainees told us to finish because if
we did not, the officers will punish us."
At the detention centre, the two of them were bitten by
mosquitoes and bugs the whole night. Zhan's hands and legs had red
spots and her whole body hurt while Lim's back and neck were
bitten, and her skin was red and itchy.
Both women were detained at the centre for 24 hours before
another immigration officer transferred them back to the Malaysia
customs and detained them for another six hours.
Zhan said that other immigration officers mocked them and asked
if the detention centre was like a five-star hotel.
On Friday night, an official handed both woman a warning letter
and informed them that they will not be charged, jailed or
fined.
When Lim went to retrieve her car, she saw it was badly
scratched and damaged. They were also told by an immigration
officer who handled their departure proceedings that they would not
be able to enter Malaysia easily next time.
Looking back, Zhan acknowledged their mistake but said, "This is
only a trivial mistake. Does it warrant a need to detain us at the
detention centre?"
The pair angrily added: "Next time even if you invite me over to
Malaysia I wouldn't want go in!"
They were worried that the incident would affect their jobs, and
wanted to remind their friends to be more careful when travelling
to Malaysia.
Under their lawyer's advice, the pair might seek compensation
from the Malaysian authorities.
This is not the first time
Malaysian authorities have been accused of abusing their power. In
November 2005, another woman was made to perform nude
squats.
According to police, the nude
squats are meant to dislodge any hidden illicit drugs but the
incident led to the formation of an independent commission, which
subsequently recommended that the practice be
stopped.
Additional reporting by Liyana Low
