The MMS Story
Friday, 25-11-2005Yesterday was an interesting day. Someone dropped a VCD in to my office which showed a naked woman (most likely is Chinese) doing ear-squat in a police lock-up in the presence of a policewoman.
The VCD proves the testimony of the four Chinese nationals who were put in police lock-up during the recent Hari Raya period.
I was aware of the existence of this VCD clip before when after the China women issue being blown up by press, I was told by a friend in Johor about this visuals that was being spread among users’ mobile phone via MMS. I was told the visual in the VCD was a copy of what was being transfered around between mobile phone isers..
I was trying to catch Noh Omar, the Deputy Minister of Internal Security in the Parliament yesterday as I wanted to show him this visual but unfortunately he has left and he did not take my call despite my several attemmps.I then showed the visual to Kit Siang, Nazri and Azmi Khalid during lunch break. They were all shocked.
I then held a press conference on this issue with Kit. After that the press followed up with Nazri and Azmi Khalid. Both of them ondemned the police action. Azmi Khalid told TV3 during his interview that this wasn’t a political issue, but it is something that everyone should express concern about. When Azmi looked at the visual, he asked me whether I can zoom in to the face of the policewoman who is seen watching the naked girl doing ear-squat, and he said, “...this policewoman wear tudung too.” Yes, the worst thing is there was Muslim prayer sound at the background, which means that police lock-up was near to a mosque or surau.
The visual was watched by at least 30 MPs in the MPs’ lounge. Many of them felt disgusted with what they saw.
While I was showing to the BN back benchers the visuals, I received a call from the Malay Mail reporter, Vasu, who told me that the police has lodged a report against China Press which put the MMS story on its front page. He asked me whether I am worried that the police may take action against me too. I got a shock to hear that, then when a reporter asked me to email the visual to him, I was reluctant to do so and I asked them to do it themselves from my computer as I don’t want to be implicated in spreading “unhealthy visuals”. I told the reporter that the China Press is playing its role as media, and it is his social responsibility to publish it, the same goes to me, I am just playing my role as a wakil rakyat to try to highlight the police abuse issue.
I hope the recent series of events on the police abuses in the lock-up will make everyone of us sit up and realise not everything is right and that we deserve better from officers sworn to protect and defend us and our families. It is high time the government to set up an Independent Police Complains Authority to deal with police abuses in the country.
YB Teresa,
You have done a great job by revealing the shocking video clip of the inhuman treatment at one of our police lock-up.Justice must be done to expose the policewoman.I suppose by showing the video in the Parliament you are protected by the Parliament immunity privilege.
Our police are suppose to be protecting the Rakyat but instead are harrasing and threatening them.That is the reason why this VCD is delivered to your office instead of going to the police or the BN MP.The Rakyat have lost confidence on the integrity of our system.
I quite dissapointed that your blogger have not many responses.Can I suggest you paste your blogger address at DAP website or Uncle Kit Blogger.
Once again I salute you for A GREAT JOB DONE.WE ARE FULLY BEHIND YOU.
Comment by yeahwho — Friday, 25-11-2005 @ 13: 36.00
Hey Teressa. I support your move. The ethics in the police force has to be improved. Based on what I heard from people previously detained, the treatments given are unacceptable. Everyone is innocent unless proven guilty. You are not only helping the chinese nationals. You’re also helping Malaysians who have been victimized as well. You might have heard of this blog. http://corrupted-malaysia.blogspot.com/
I’m sure that person would be happy to know what you are doing.
Comment by Yvonne — Friday, 25-11-2005 @ 13: 37.09
I just want to say that you are doing a great job on this issue. Continue championing what is right and good for our nation.
Comment by AuthenticGeek — Friday, 25-11-2005 @ 15: 17.17
The issues of corruption in Malaysia.
Where are the good police people ask?
There is a big ‘thing’ going on at the moment about the Tudung wearing police officer making the chinese female inmate do ear squats.
Trackback by ShaolinTiger - Kung-Fu Geekery — Friday, 25-11-2005 @ 17: 05.44
Hello Teresa. First of all, thanks for highlighting important issues like this one for the rakyat to see. We truly deserve a transparent government in dealing with such cases. I’m very proud and happy to have a MP like you. You have done a great job! Keep up the good work!
Comment by Tiramisu — Friday, 25-11-2005 @ 17: 18.07
hang on here, you mean to say that the police filed a complaint with themselves cos a newspaper exposed the abuse of their powers? hmmm…something sounds really farcical, if not outright comical if it wasn’t for the gravity of the matter.
perhaps it’s time to prepare answers to those questions i posed earlier on the rights and responsibilities of the police when approaching and taking into custody a civilian, m’sian and otherwise, and the rights and responsibilities of the said victim.
Comment by kalliorocks — Friday, 25-11-2005 @ 17: 38.18
YB, pl continue with your good work!
It is about time the abuse of power in the police force get known by the world. We might suffer the consequences afterwards (Tourism declining, economic collaboration declining etc), but in long term, hope that this will help
to fix the rot in Malaysia’s system.
Comment by Panjang — Friday, 25-11-2005 @ 18: 28.12
Dear YB,
good job. Keep working. Hope this could bring a reform to Police force. Pls get to the bottom of this issue. Hopefully, it won’t be hangat-hangat tahi ayam—> hot for a while, nothing be done and forget by everyone in months time
Comment by somewhat — Friday, 25-11-2005 @ 18: 49.19
Dear YB,
I’m not very sure weather the Malaysia government implement this or not
but if not I would like to suggest that the government should publish and
distribute the investigation and the outcome in the form of hardcopy document
to the public. This will at least let us know what’s going on, who’s the
culprit, what type of punishment they receive? I believe most of the Malaysian
would like to know this instead of letting the issue dissappear into the thin air.
It would be even better if the PM himself sign the document to prove that the report
is true.
Comment by wa1gor — Saturday, 26-11-2005 @ 01: 36.12
Sorry to crash a party but I’ve seen the video concerned and I have to say that that are too many discrepancies in it. We have absolutely no idea the situation in which these events took place. Why is it that most people, without hesitation would immediately cry ‘prisoner abuse’? Most say that the girl was being asked to strip before being punished. What I saw in the video was that she was already naked and in the process of getting dressed, the uniformed lady who was by the way wearing ‘selipar Jepun ‘(don’t even know if she is police personnel) appeared to have walked in on her and asked her to perform ‘ketuk ketampi’ to which she complied. The tone of the uniformed person’s voice was nowhere near what you’d expect from an abusive captor. She then continued in getting dressed. The room that she was in looked more like a locker room than any detention room I’ve seen (notice the lockers with keys and multicolored bands). Odd for a detntion room to have lockers. Don’t they usually take your stuff, itemise them and put them in an envelope or something. The lights being on and the background of someone reciting the Quran suggests to me that it was probably early in the morning, right before Azan Subuh. Could it not be possible then that this is actually a video of someone who was late in getting ready in the morning being punished by a more senior individual in some sort of uniformed organization (pak Guard ka, kadet wanita ka etc)? Granted that the police are not winning any PR battles lately but let’s not jump the gun and pass judgement based on what is at best, suspect evidence. If there’s one thing I hate is the sensationalization of things without being absolutely sure what they are in the first place. my two sen.
Comment by marcusaurelius — Saturday, 26-11-2005 @ 08: 02.19
To marcusaurelius,
I must credit you for asking the validity of the video. Or more of whether the video is a genuine abuse recording. I have done some analysis on it. And available on my blog.
Anyhow, the Police have save you the trouble by admitting the incident.
Comment by carboncopy — Saturday, 26-11-2005 @ 23: 08.10
There we go again… everytime these ministers, govt officers, police officers commit some mistakes and get sued, we (the rakyat and taxpayers) have to foot the bills for them. Examples…. doctors being sued and MOH pays compensations. Former IGP got sued by Anwar and get paid compensation of RMXX million. Now the Chinese women take legal actions agains the police officer and M’sian Govt, we may again have to pay. Why not these police officers pay for their negligence and wrong-doings from their own salary and assets first, then the immediate superior pay, then IGP, then the Minister and then the PM until the compensation amount awarded by the court is satisfied?
Maybe if they are personally liable then they will be more responsbile for their actions.
Comment by taypj — Monday, 28-11-2005 @ 14: 15.36
Teresa,
U have done a great job. It shows how disgraceful is our current M’sia police force and the way they mistreated many Chinese nationals in our country. Hope that this incident will bring to justice the culprits and improve the future police force.
Comment by franwee — Tuesday, 29-11-2005 @ 16: 18.18
Uproar In Malaysia
I haven’t been in the office for a number of days, and therefore have been quite out of touch with the outside world. Haven’t had the chance to visit my regular news sites or blogs. I come back today and…
Trackback by broken porcelain — Wednesday, 30-11-2005 @ 02: 26.15
Ear squats and tudungs
It will be an interesting ride, irrefutable evidence in the form of a video taken with a phone camera means that we can go beyond arguing about whether the deed was done, and can focus on what is to be done about it. It was cast into the public sphere by
Trackback by julthefool — Saturday, 07-01-2006 @ 00: 40.22