Humiliating tourists is wrong

If the tourists are guilty of illegal entry by driving a car through the check point, they should be charged in court. Humiliating tourists is wrong. But Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein should also punish the immigration officers.

Immigration forced S'pore duo to do 'nude squats'

KL Boy: These officers are dumb and cruel. What they did was a disgrace to the country and all women. It was a total, outright abuse of human rights. The incident has become big news in the Singapore Straits Times.

Wira: It's useless to form any commission. PDRM, Immigration and the MACC are untouchable bodies, with their own set of laws by convention. We have to change the whole government, provided those men in blue uniforms allow us to, in a general election to make them accountable to civil authority.

An old Malaysian: I won't be surprised if they were filming the two naked women while they were exposed and humiliated.

Anonymous: According to the New Paper in Singapore, the duo immediately made a U- turn back to the JB Immigration office seeking advice as there was confusion over the biometric system implemented. According to the one of the victims, the counter was not manned and when they pressed the intercom, they heard "JB", and mistook this as approval of their entry and they drove in. But their innocence and naive behaviour to report the incident to the immigration officers ended with them put in a cockroach-and-termite-infested filthy cell in Pontian and having to go through an ordeal they described as "hell".

I suppose the women were lucky to be asked to do nude squats only and not subjected to cavity search. In any case, if the immigration officers had no cause to suspect the two women were smuggling anything in their bodies, such as drugs, etc, then they have no right to subject the women to such an act. That would be a violation of their human rights.

Singapore should officially complain on this matter. In any case, how they were allowed to walk past Immigration without any stamp on their passport would point to poor enforcement and negligence on the part of the Malaysian authorities.

Monochrome: There was no one at the counter on Malaysia's side when the two Singaporeans drove through? How could anyone go through our borders if it is guarded?

If these tourists are guilty of illegal entry by driving a car through the check point, they should be charged in court. Humiliating our tourists is wrong. Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein should also punish the immigration officers, or tell Singaporeans not to come.

Rubystar_4037: It is disgusting to read about the abuses of enforcement authorities in Malaysia almost everyday. The PDRM, MACC, Immigration, Customs... This is because of the weak will of the authorities to punish those who transgress and instead protect them to ensure that the name of the department is not splashed out in the media.

I have been travelling for the past 30 years and I can see a tremendous improvement in them at the Customs checkpoints at KLIA and the LCCT. When they check your luggage thoroughly and there are no taxable items, they apologise for the mess they've created.

It has happened many times to me and they were always courteous. I always commend them that it was their job as Customs officers to check incoming luggage. Yes, cheers to the Customs as I am sure they are improving everyday.

Cinaputra: This is simply degrading and humiliating, to say the least, in this day and age. Whoever gave the instructions for the nude squat to be carried out should be summarily sacked, no two ways about it. Give these jerks a little power and they simply go overboard. I am ashamed to be a Malaysian. Our Immigration Department needs a big shake-up.

Bhajnik Singh: It is standard procedure for offenders to do the nude squats? Well then, change this procedure to an action that is more humane and if the authorities still want it, then make sure there is privacy and only female offices are in attendance.

Kit P: Cool down a bit folks. I read the post in a Singapore cyber forum, and there are odd points sticking out in the story. No doubt Malaysian immigration authorities have exhibited thuggish behaviour before, but this particular story smells a bit fishy.

Fly Emirates: There is a problem with this story and it's a pity the reporter did not pick it up. In one paragraph, it was stated that they drove and in another paragraph, it was mentioned they walked passed immigration. It is not possible for them to miss the immigration if they are driving. If they were taking the bus, it is possible that they walked pass without getting a stamp.

Bujang Senang: As a medical doctor, I was greatly concerned with the testimony given by one Dr Zainab Shamsuddin who was quoted by deputy public prosecutor Suhaimi Ibrahim during the hearings of the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into the nude-squat scandal. Zainab was quoted to have testified that the act of squatting was capable of dislodging any hidden foreign objects inside body orifices.

As a medical doctor, I was shocked by the statement and wonder whether it was truly from a medical expert. Any young girl could tell that inserting a tampon into her vagina is a convenient way of stopping menstrual overflow if she wants to take a dip into the swimming pool. She could also tell you that a tampon cannot be easily dislodged by a simple squat or even straining. Squatting, plus straining may not even dislodge an intra-vaginal substance like a tampon or any smooth-surfaced substance. For the vast majority of cases, a digital manoeuvre is needed to remove a substance in most cases.

Disgusted: PM Najib Abdul Razak is begging Singaporeans to invest in Iskandaria to make it a success, but his minions are treating Singaporeans like dirt. How stupid can they be, shooting themselves in the foot? - Malaysiakini