Body searches which include frisking a detainee or asking the person to strip upon entry into police lockups is a matter of routine, a high-ranking official told the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) today.

"When the detainee is handed over to the lockup, it is a matter of routine to check everything on their body," said Selangor CID Chief Mangsor Ismail, adding that the police have to ensure that nothing is brought into the lockup by the detainees.

He stated that the decision whether to strip a detainee or not also up to the discretion of the officer in the lockup, stressing that only female police officers may search female suspects.

Mangsor was responding to a question from Suhakam commissioner Mehrun Siraj at the inquiry into allegations of police brutality during the aborted Nov 5 100,000 People's Gathering sponsored by Keadilan.

"Normally we do body searches and we do ask some of them to strip, but the general instruction is to conduct a body search, frisk them or check their private parts for objects, and this is based on experience," Mangsor said.

Policewoman Dayang Sabnam Ratman told Suhakam on March 9 that she had ordered Norazimah Mohd Nor, a mother of three, to strip off to see if she had hidden prohibited materials such as drugs. ([#1] Mother of three stripped naked and asked to squat, inquiry told [/#], Mar 9)

When commissioner and inquiry chairman Anuar Zainal Abidin asked her if she had forcibly made Norazimah to perform squats and sit-ups, she said "No".

Norazimah had told the inquiry on Jan 2 that she was arrested on Nov 4 while setting up her stall selling reformasi merchandise. She said she was then taken to Kapar police station where she was ordered to strip and do sit-ups in front of a policewoman and other detainees.

The inquiry panel will be visiting Kapar police station to examine the lockup.

Private property

Later, Mehrun quizzed Mangsor on the police decision to disallow the public to gather at the original venue planned for the gathering, a plot of land privately owned by a Keadilan supporter.

"It was an open space and even though it was private property, the public still has access to it. Our contention was that if the property is private, it must be an enclosed area," Mangsor said.

He added that the lot could only accommodate 4,000 to 5,000 people whereas Keadilan was planning for a gathering of 10,000 to 20,000.

Mehrun also questioned Mangsor on allegations by Suhakam witness Johari Abdul that the police continued to charge at the rally participants even though a ceasefire had been agreed to between them and the police. ([#2] People were not given time to disperse: witness [/#], 17 Jan)

"I did not see such an incident as I was in front and there were units at the back," Mangsor said.

He told Mehrun that when the demonstrators agreed to break up, he and his superior, Selangor deputy CPO Johar Che Din, had agreed to cease dispersal operation, but conceded that the few minutes in between the two decisions could have caused "possible confusion".

Ring leader

When asked again by Mehrun if the allegations by Suhakam witness Monashofian Zulkarnain Putra that his car was kicked and punched, Mangsor said that he did not see the incident. ([#3] I did not kick civilian's car cop [/#], March 10)

"I saw shouting between him and my officers and subsequently he went into his car and when we did not succeed in getting him out, my officers made the decision to tow his car away," he added.

According to Mangsor, Monashofian was hurling abuses at the police and was the apparent ring leader during the assembly.

The inquiry is chaired by former Chief Justice of Malaya Anuar Zainal Abidin, who is assisted by Mehrun, the former dean of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's law faculty and Simon Sipaun of the Sabah Civil Service Commission.

No date has been announced for the next session of the ongoing inquiry.