Two immigration officers suspended over nude squat

June 17, 2011

The causeway linking Malaysia and Singapore.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 —Two immigration officers In Johor Bahru have been suspended over reports that two Singaporean women were forced to do nude squats for passing through border controls without getting their passports stamped.

According to the Singapore Straits Times the island republic’s Foreign Affairs Ministry had also said that the allegations are “serious and raise concerns.”

“We welcome the quick announcement of the Malaysian authorities of an immediate investigation,” the daily quoted a ministry spokesman as saying.

Malaysian Immigration Department director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad said yesterday that the officials had been suspended until a multi-agency inquiry, which headed to Johor yesterday to begin its probe, completes its investigation, according to the ST report.

Alias also said that the seven-man panel had five days to submit a report to the Immigration Department and may summon the two women if necessary.

He said, however, that their detention was legal as they had under Malaysia’s Immigration Act as they had entered the country without passing through biometric fingerprint checks, the ST reported.

The newspaper also wrote that both women would submit their written statements to Singapore’s foreign ministry today.

The ministry said it will hand the statements over to the Malaysian High Commission in hopes that “this will help the Malaysian investigators come to a quick conclusion.’

It was reported on Tuesday that the two women, who drove to Johor Baru for supper last week, were questioned by Malaysian immigration officials, handcuffed, thrown behind bars and made to do squats while naked.

The two women said they had driven into Johor Baru without getting their passports stamped, claiming to have driven through an unmanned immigration lane.

Following their punishment, they were allowed to return to Singapore after 48 hours with a warning.

Now back in Singapore, both women say they will never again visit Malaysia after the incident which drew criticism from opposition MPs who called the act “humiliating and ridiculous.”

The Straits Times added that one of the women, known as Chang, would be taking legal action but had yet to meet a lawyer while the other, Lim, would let the matter rest after making a formal complaint as she would have to enter Malaysia for the suit “and I do not want to step in there anymore.”