SASH: Students Against Sexual Harassment

http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=13625

I was forced to strip in lock-up: 60-year-old housewife claims

B.Suresh Ram and Llew-Ann Phang

KUALA LUMPUR: A 60-year-old housewife has alleged that she was forced

to strip in a police station and walk around in circles three times in

front of two policewomen.

Lim Nee Cheng Pik Wai also alleged that the policewomen helped

themselves to some money in her handbag when she was in custody on

March 11.

"I have never felt so humiliated in my life … walking in the nude

with the policewomen laughing at me," she said in a media conference

held in Parliament House on March 30.

Lim’s ordeal began when she was taken to the police station after she

was detained by department store security guards over a

misunderstanding which has been settled amicably with the store

management on March 28.

In her police report lodged on March 29, Lim claimed she was

instructed to take out all her cash from her handbag and place them on

the table.

"Initially, one of the policewomen placed all the cash and coins into

a plastic bag. While counting the money, I saw her taking out several

notes and putting them in a drawer.

"She told me that it was her bribe money (duit rasuah). She said ‘bei

ngo yam cha’ (Cantonese for ‘give me tea money’).

"She also asked for my bank ATM card PIN number but I refused. She

said if I did not give the number, I would be made to do squats …

that’s when I was ordered to remove my jewellery and get into a

lock-up where I was told to strip."

Lim said her husband turned up at the station at 8pm to bail her out.

Her husband then asked the policewoman to return all the money but it

was short of RM209 (total RM469).

"The policewoman then said a police report would be made against him

(Lim’s husband)," she added.

MP Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh), who arranged for the press conference,

said: "I am quite perturbed by the strip procedures, despite

assurances from senior police officers that new guidelines had been

issued as the IGP’s Standing Order."

"With new body search guidelines, why is such abuse still happening?" she asked.

Kuala Lumpur deputy CPO SAC (I) Datuk Ahmad Baharin Idrus confirmed a

police report was lodged with the Dang Wangi police station.

"Investigations are in progress. So I will not be able to make any

comments on the matter," he said.

On March 3, IGP Tan Sri Bakri Omar announced police had produced their

own rules on conducting body searches "to protect the dignity and

pride" of suspects.

The IGP’s Standing Order on Code of Practices for Body Searches

requires the suspect to be practically attired during searches instead

of "partially dressed" as suggested by the Royal Commission on the

Police Force..

The order excluded recommendations that intimate searches could only

be done by a doctor or hospital assistant or registered nurse, acting

under the direction of a doctor and a requirement to obtain warrants

to conduct intimate searches.

Bakri confirmed that the document, which is being fine-tuned, would

contain guidelines for body searches and would take about three months

to be adopted.