Malaysia asked for more information on nude squat case

(The Straits Time/Asia News Network)- Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Ministry (MFA) has written to the Malaysian High Commission seeking details of an investigation into how two Singaporean women were treated while in detention in a Johor lock-up.

An MFA statement released on Friday said there was an understanding with the Malaysian authorities that they would let Singapore know the results of the investigations as soon as it was ready, but they had not received any to date.

Instead, findings of Malaysia’s probe into the highly-publicised matter were announced in their parliament session earlier this week, when a Home Ministry statement cleared the officers involved in the June incident of any wrongdoing.

“Following media reports in Malaysia that the Malaysian authorities have provided a reply to a Parliamentary question on the same case, MFA has asked the Malaysian High Commission in Singapore to provide more information,” the statement said.

The two Singaporean women were driving into Johor Baru for supper on June 9 when they went through an unmanned checkpoint lane and entered Malaysia without getting their passports stamped.

Realising what had happened, the pair did a U-turn and approached some Malaysian officers who questioned them and sent them to a detention centre in Pontian.

There, the women claimed they were made to strip and asked to do 10 squats each while pulling their ears – acts which have been roundly criticised on both sides of the Causeway as inhumane and humiliating.

But, on Wednesday, Malaysia’s Home Ministry, in a written reply to a question by opposition Member of Parliament Fong Po Kuan, said the checks were done in a “good and orderly fashion”.

According to online newspaper Malaysian Insider, the ministry said the inspection was carried out according to standard operating procedures, such as having the women examined by a female officer. — The Straits Times /Asia News Network