Mahathir responds to RP's outrage over rape claims

Mahathir responds to RP's outrage over rape claims

Agencies, Kuala Lumpur

The alleged rape of a 13-year-old migrant girl which outraged
Philippine President Gloria Arroyo drew a personal response on
Thursday from Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad amid a bitter row
over Malaysia's mass expulsion of illegal immigrants.

Mahathir pledged swift action over Arroyo's complaint in a
letter to him that the girl had been raped, reportedly by a
policeman at a detention center.

"The Malaysian government and I personally view with serious
concern the allegation made by a Filipino minor (named) that she
was a victim of sexual molestation in one of the detention
centers in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah," Mahathir said in a statement.

"I have directed that a swift and thorough investigation be
conducted by the authorities concerned to verify the allegation.
I would like to assure the government and people of the
Philippines that appropriate action will be taken against those
responsible in accordance with Malaysian laws."

Rapists in Malaysia face not less than five years and not more
than 20 years in jail and are also liable to be whipped.

Mahathir's statement came in response to Arroyo's letter, sent
on Wednesday, which expressed her "personal outrage and that of
the Filipino people" over the alleged rape.

Asked by reporters how he felt about the strongly worded
complaint, Mahathir said: "Well, it is strongly worded because
they feel very angry about it. And our people should learn that
they cannot get away with this kind of thing. This is damaging
for them and the nation."

The case is the latest cause of friction over Malaysia's
crackdown on illegal immigrants, which has seen more than 380,000
people fleeing the country or being deported ahead of tough new
punishments including jail and caning.

However, the Philippines said on Thursday its row with
Malaysia over Kuala Lumpur's expulsions of Filipino illegals
would not impair harmony within the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Foreign Secretary Blas Ople also rejected suggestions from
local lawmakers for Manila to recall its ambassador from Kuala
Lumpur as an expression of outrage over the deportation of some
70,000 undocumented Filipinos from that country in recent months.

Arroyo on Monday dispatched a seven-man government team to
investigate charges that a number of children of illegal
immigrants had died after being poorly treated at detention camps
in Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo island.

The girl who was allegedly raped was among 500 deportees who
arrived in the southern Philippines aboard a coastguard vessel
from Sabah on Tuesday, according to social workers there. They
said she needed immediate psychological help.

Arroyo's team of investigators completed their work on
Thursday, after visiting three detention centers, and said in a
joint statement with the Malaysian authorities that it found the
government "has exerted all efforts to ease the hardships of
Filipino detainees/deportees."

"The Philippine delegation is satisfied that these efforts
meet Philippine expectations," said the statement, which was
signed by team leader Nur Jafaar and Sabah Chief Minister Chong
Kah Kiat.

Jaafar said 536 illegal immigrants were being held at the
three detention centers in Sabah and they would be shipped home
as soon as possible, but added that there were an estimated
300,000 undocumented Filipinos still in Malaysia.

Sabah state police chief Ramli Yusuff said police had
"suspended operations to arrest illegals for a while", but did
not elaborate.

Malaysia's crackdown on illegal immigrants, who flock to the
relatively wealthy Southeast Asian nation in search of jobs, has
also sparked protests in Indonesia.