Thursday, December 01, 2005

Americanisation of Malaysian society, perhaps

I was not in town immediately after 9/11

Our nationals were subjected to degrading treatment at immigration check points. Stripping naked was definitely on the menu. The US of A is one such government, another paranoid government was Israel. They were making the case that this is justifiable and necessary in the "war on terror". Wow! Terrer nyer!

I was wondering. During that period ya, were there similar press outrage? Were the Ministers fighting for a say on the matter as well? Did our Goverment voiced a protest and defended the rights of our citizens?

I know one of our men who had to go through the ill-treatment. He was based in the US of A and his work had required him to travel to Israel. Every single time, passing through the immigration check points had meant he had to strip naked, at both ends. After one encounter where he and his wife had to strip naked in front of his children, he quit his job and came home for good.

I had written to protest against torture and ill-treatment in the "war on terror". Tengok2 in my own backyard oso got the same pattern one. Ak eneee!!! Shy only.

Farish A Noor's say on the same matter.

3 comments:

Erra said...

Body search is a widely practised procedure, I do accept that. But it should be done in a closed environment with the suspect and immigration/police officers only. NOT making a circus out of it; in our case the person with a phone camera (how come he was there to witness and record?) and the Israeli case the man's whole family. That was my contention: treat another human being with respect.

I have nothing against our Police force, I symphatise with Noh for getting banged for stating the fact. Only that in our dictionary we have the word "maruah", "aib", "keaiban", "mengaibkan", hence I presumed we'd understand the concepts - pride, respect, honour and disgrace. How was the recording possible? Why it became a media circus?

Erra said...

Yeah! Our PM and Indonesia's President are very much alike and I'm very afraid.

Erra said...

i'm very much apolitical.

but i did notice the significant environment change since our current PM came into power; am afraid it's not for the better.

i miss writing letters to the PM office and see action taken. yes! the former PM entertained letters from a minute flea like meself.