Eshin Direct

Malaysia’s Shame

Malaysia’s in the thick of it again. This time it is under fire for detaining four Chinese women for allegedly not having valid travel documents, forcing them to strip in front of male officers and ordering them to squat (apparently, this will reveal hidden caches of drugs). Apparently, the initial charge proved to be false and the whole sordid incident was captured on a video camera phone. Some even claim that this is increasingly standard practice to discourage the influx of Chinese women coming into the country to work as prostitutes.

Of course, this doesn’t justify violating basic human rights and degrading a human being.

Even more laughable is the culture of “it’s not my fault” that seems to be pervading the Malaysian government. First, the deputy police chief, Musa Hassan, claims that those that actually recorded the incident should be punished with no mention of punishing those that committed the human rights violation. Of course, he does have a point if the person who took the video did it with intentions of adding it to his own personal porn collection.

Second, and even more serious, is that the Abdullah Badawi, Malaysia’s prime minister, stated in an official statement of apology, that “the actions of a handful of government officials do not represent the entire police force or government” or something to that effect.

Bullshit, Mr. Badawi. Each person employed in your civil service should have been instilled with the utmost understanding that they do represent their country, their government and the people that they protect. The assumption that all their actions are accountable should be foremost in their mind. When the system fails, the people at the top shouldn’t issue regrettable apologies, but should take collective responsibility for the failings of their juniors. Their shame, and I’m sure the Malaysian nation’s shame, should be reflected in your apology. Their failings are in fact your failings.

This is your Guantanamo and the world waits to see if you’ll rise to the occassion. Bush and Rumsfeld failed to, let’s hope you don’t. Take responsibility.

These pictures appalled me as they should do you. .

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(Identity blanked by me to offer some privacy to the woman pictured. I am of the mind that however these pictures came into the public domain, they should be distributed for the “appall” factor. I once saw a picture of Jewish woman after she was raped by German soldiers. My disgust at Nazi Germany has never left me since and although it would seem I’m perpetuating the sensationalism, I believe that pictures do sometimes capture the depravity of human nature that academic words cannot.)

Balancing Note: Mainland Chinese women are travelling more to engage in prostitution but this doesn’t justify the actions of the Malaysian police force. Malaysia should perhaps spend more time educating its own population own the issues of prostitution and the social consequences rather than taking it out in the form of ethnically profiled bigotry.

For a Malaysian perspective of this atrocity, read “The Wrongs of the Right” by Lisa.