Squatgate - Sino-Malay Paradox of Justice

“I am a 22-year-old Malaysian of Malay descent”.

“I did less than 10 squats. Then I was told to put on my clothes. My hair was tied up in a ponytail,” she said.

"While putting on my clothes, I faced away from the policewoman and was not aware if there was a window nearby."

This is the testimony of the squat-girl at the Commission of Inquiry yesterday.

In between sobs, the woman identified herself in the video clip and ended her testimony.

She said she did less than 10 squat - but the video saw her doing exactly 10 squat. Did she forget the actual counting or is she trying to justify something we don't know?

She said she put on her clothes faced away from the policewoman and was not aware of the window nearby.

The video clearly indicate that she faced the window and was staring at the person on the window who is filming her.

"My hair was tied up in a ponytail,” she said. Why did she had to specifically mention this ponytail thing to the commission members? Is this statement so important that she had to mentioned it to justify something?

The woman spoke in a firm and confident manner, but broke down when she was called to identify herself in the video clip. She was firm and confident of her statement until she was shown the video clip? Why?

Leading officer DPP Suhaimi Ibrahim requested that the video clip be played, as it was necessary for identification. She was asked to identify whether the she was the person in the video clip. She said yes. How?

She identify herself in the clip based on the her hair clasp. "I knew it was me because I also recognised the policewoman who was there when I performed the squats."

Lance Corporal Wan Zawati alias Zalina Wan Ismail told the inquiry that she conducted this procedure on all female detainees. She is one of them.

How is it that the video had clearly shown the face of the girl and the breast and her identification is based on the fact of her hair clasp and ponytail? Can't she identify her own face and breast?

Is the face of this girl and the videod girl the same, or has she changed her face and breast since she got pregnant?

Isn't this puzzling?

The Star on 30th November reported that the Chinese woman who was videotaped doing ear squat in the nude has been sent back to her home country, Kosmo reported.

The newspaper quoting sources said the woman in her 20s, worked as a guest relations officer at an entertainment outlet in Damansara.

How is it that the girl who was sent back to her home country is now a Malaysian who had always been in this country been sent back to somewhere which is not her home?

Azmi's China mission to clear the air

Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid went to China to explain to the Chinese authorities that the girl in the video was not a Chinese national but a Malaysian Malay girl. Funny? Perplexed?

The order to go to China came from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who feels the trip is necessary in the wake of a spate of cases where Chinese women in police custody were subjected to humiliation and wrongful treatment.

“PM telephoned me and personally instructed me to go and restore the confidence of the Chinese,” Azmi told a press conference at Parliament House yesterday.

Azmi said his visit to China was one of many steps Malaysia would be taking to set the picture right, and the urgency of his mission was evident as he had to postpone a trip to Pakistan and will also miss the Pengkalan Pasir by-election on Dec 6.

Why go to China to tell them that the girl is a Malay, and not a Chinese national?

Is the video girl a Malay or a Chinese national? Is it important at all?

Isn't it worse off to find that our police are doing this to the local Malays who were arrested by the police on all offences, whether they be criminal in nature, drugs-related, traffic offence or illegal immigrants.

Lance Corporal Wan Zawati alias Zalina Wan Ismail told the inquiry that she conducted this procedure on all female detainees. She said that if she did not order the procedure, disciplinary action could be taken against her if any contraband items were later found in the lock-up occupied by the detainee.

"So you conducted a strip search on all the women detainees for fear of disciplinary action?" Independent Commissioner Kuthubal Zaman Bukhari asked.

Wan Zawati (left) replied: "Yes.“

Are you sure? Because we are writing all this down," said commission chairman Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah.

She replied: "Yes."

"Even on traffic or illegal immigrant offences?" asked Datuk Kamilia Ibrahim

"Yes."

"You must be confused," said Dzaiddin

She still maintained that her answer was correct.

Yesterday, Chief Inspector Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman said that squat searches were done on those involved in drug offences, serious crimes, and those caught at night-spots.

If the police officers themselves are confused by their own rules or procedures, what do we expect of the system and the possible abuses?