KENYATAAN MEDIA / PRESS RELEASE

15 November 2000

STOP THE VIOLENCE:- NSCOVAW - IMAGE BOOSTER OR MECHANISM FOR CHANGE?

On November 5, the police arrested over 126 people during the people's gathering called "Perhimpunan 100 000 Rakyat" organized by the Barisan Alternatif at the Kesas Highway to Kelang. The main objective of the gathering was to get people to assert their rights as citizens in a democratic country through a peaceful way. The gathering which was supposed to be held on a private land was thwarted by the police who blocked all entrances to the said venue. Thus, the gathering was finally held at the Kesas Highway where the campaign "Nyah Mahathir" was launched.

Among the 126 people arrested were 5 women, including a 17 year old student with her mother. The 17 year old student was being sent back to her student hostel as her final SPM exams were scheduled for this week. But both were caught in the traffic jam and the assembly. The police forcefully pulled the two of them out of their car and arrested them. The 17 year old girl was also remanded for 5 days. We know that juveniles are not to be remanded in the police lock up with the others. This was not respected by the authorities and by the remand order given by the court.

One of the detainees, Norazimah Mohd. Nor, popularly known as Nora, was sexually abused and humiliated in front of other female detainees. According to Nora:

"At the Kapar Police Station I was put in a cell with more than ten other male detainees. One laady police officer called Dayang Safinah then asked me to strip. I took off all my clothes but left my underwear on.

Dayang then asked me to take off my underwear as well as she wanted me stark naked. I protested as there were more than ten other female detainees present but she insisted and threaten to bring the "budak-budak" to beat me up. I had no choice but to follow orders. She then asked me to get on the floor, open my legs and do pump ups"

This week, on Monday, in the newspaper, there was another incident of a Thai women tourist who was sexually harassed and abused at the Pelabuhan Kelang police lock up.

Wanita keADILan (the women's wing of National Justice Party), as stated in our earlier press statement condemns the sexual abuse, violence and dehumiliation which constitute torture, perpetrated against Nora and all other women during police custody.

During this period, on November 8, 2000, the Deputy Prime Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil announced the formation of a National Steering Committee on Violence Against Women (NSCOVAW) and hoped that through this mechanism, violence against women would be reduced.

At the Press Conference held to announce the formation, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, the Chairperson of NSCOVAW, was questioned to the position of NSCOVAW in relation to the abuse perpetrated against Nora in the police lock up. She replied, " if you flout the law you must pay the price."

A statement of this nature reflects that Shahrizat condones police brutality, abuse, sexual or otherwise on women. She has also passed judgment on Nora as being guilty of an offence even before Nora was even charged in court.

This kind of perception, rationale and being judgmental even before a person is charged reflects a poor leadership and a person who tends to discriminate women especially women who want to assert their rights through peaceful assembly. The failure of Shahrizat to recognize the abuse and violence by the police on women, reflects her failure in protecting and promoting the rights of all women and all times. It also raises serious concerns over the effectiveness and credibility of NSCOVAW itself. At the end of the day who will this Committee serve and protect? Is this a mechanism to promote the image of Shahrizat and Wanita UMNO cronies?

We, in Wanita keADILan, challenge Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and HAWA on their sincerity to wipe out violence against women. NSCOVAW, as a government mechanism, must start with the enforcement agencies, especially the police force to eliminate violence against women in Malaysia. The government of the day must be consistent in which it preaches. We cannot have one arm of the government expressing the need to stop violence against women when the other arm of the government like the police to continue unashamedly to sexually abuse, harass and torture women in custody.

This form of violence has reached serious level. Today we see increasing violence being used by politicians, by UMNO leaders to resolve disputes, disagreements and conflicts.

Some of the incidents are:

1. On November 11, 2000 in Ampang Jaya, a group of UMNO members assaulted some local residents from Ampang Tasik when the residents attempted to submit a memorandum to the Menteri Besar of Selangor, Dr. Mohammad Khir Toyo.

2. On November 13, 2000 at the State Asembly in Shah Alam, YB Teng Chang Kim, assemblymen for Kelang was verbally abused with racist words like 'Cina babi' and slapped by Zakaria Md. Derus, UMNO assemblyman for Selat Kelang. Then YB Teng wasa punched by another man, possible 'sidekick' of Zakaria.

All these forms of violence and abuse reflect that this government has failed in its duty to wipe out violence, to instill peace in our society and is becoming desperate to maintain its power. We know that violence has been used to sustain power and control by people in power, by men over their wives and children, by various institutions. The Barisan Nasional government by condoning this form of violence has set the direction for violence to permeate into all levels of society.

Wanita keADILan will not allow this trend to continue. It violates all fundamental rights, like the right to bodily security, the right to assemble, the right to be heard, the right to legal representation and the right to be protected from hurt and assault. We hold the Inspector General of Police and the Home Ministry fully accountable for the abuse experienced by the detainees.

Wanita keADILan will continue to campaign for the protection and promotion of our rights especially the rights of all women. We will strengthen our campaign against state violence throughout the country and internationally. Wanita keADILan will set up special task force to monitor, document and evolve actions to stop state violence. We will make all efforts to bring the issue internationally. Amnesty International has launched a year long campaign against torture. We will work together with Amnesty International and all other Human Rights groups globally.

In order to continue our campaign to make the government of the day accountable, we as Wanita keADILan will document cases of abuse that has happened. We will make representations to our Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), to the Special Reportage on Violence Against Women, the Special Reportage on Torture and as well as to the Human Rights Commissioner, Mary Robinson, in Geneva.

We in keADILan, call upon the Inspector General of Police to suspend the police officers on duty especially Dayang Safinah for a thorough investigation and to charge for abuse and torture. We urge Suhakam to set up a special team with strong gender perspective and sensitivity to thoroughly investigate the abuse perpetrated on women detainees, including girl children and develop actions to stamp out state violence.