Malaysian vows to probe mistreatment of Indians
Malaysian vows to probe mistreatment of Indians
Agencies, Kuala Lumpur
Malaysian authorities on Tuesday pledged to investigate
allegations that police mistreated more than 150 Indians,
including many information technology professionals, wrongly
detained on suspicion of being illegal immigrants.
"There are serious allegations of abuse of power and
wrongdoing as well as mistreatment," said Foreign Minister Syed
Hamid Albar. "We'll investigate the matter in a transparent
manner."
However, Syed Hamid, said that initial reports received by his
ministry did not indicate any mistreatment by police, according
to the national news agency Bernama.
A Malaysian opposition leader urged acting Prime Minister
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Tuesday to apologize to Indian IT
professionals rounded up for alleged visa irregularities.
"I would urge the acting prime minister to make a formal
apology in parliament," said Lim Kit Siang, chairman of the
opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP).
India warned Malaysia Monday that diplomatic relations could
be affected by the incident.
The High Commissioner of Malaysia in New Delhi, Choo Siew
Kioh, was called in to the foreign office, foreign ministry
spokesman Navtej Sarna said.
India's High Commissioner to Malaysia, Veena Sikri, expressed
concern earlier this week after police detained dozens of Indian
migrant workers in a crackdown on illegal immigrants at a Kuala
Lumpur apartment building on Sunday.
The workers were initially not allowed access to consular
officials, Sikri said. They later complained they had been
handcuffed for several hours and that police officers defaced
many of their passports, she said.
Some reportedly claimed they were slapped, kicked and had to
strip to their underwear.
Kuala Lumpur Deputy Police Chief Ahmad Bahrin Idrus denied any
mistreatment occurred.
The workers were mostly employed in Malaysia's Multimedia
Super Corridor - a government-subsidized project promoted as this
Southeast Asian country's version of California's Silicon Valley.
Police initially detained 165 Indian workers, but only nine
remained in custody for not having valid immigration documents.