A woman detainee claimed she was forced by a police officer to perform oral sex with another male detainee during her detention at the Gombak district police station recently.

The 42-year-old flower-seller, who was arrested with her 40-year-old taxi-driving husband and a 17-year-old daughter o­n March 11 for suspected connection in a murder case, claimed she was harassed o­n the same day.

They were alleged to be involved in the death of a 25-year-old woman in early January.

No action taken

The woman o­nly managed to reveal the harassment against her when she was brought to the Rawang Magistrate's Court last Wednesday for her first hearing o­n the murder case.

Following that, she was advised by the court to lodge a police report o­n the alleged sexual act forced upon her while under detention.

"Although a police report was made, no action has been taken. The police did not even record a statement from her," said M Manoharan, coordinator of the newly-set up Indian Consultative Council (ICC) today.

The ICC held a press conference today to highlight the woman's plight.

The matter came to the attention of the ICC which comprises various political parties and non-governmental organisations after the Tamil Nesan reported it last Thursday.

According to the police report, the woman said she was forced to perform oral sex with another 23-year-old male detainee - who was brought into the room o­nly with his underwear - in front of the sole police officer despite repeated pleas by both to let them go.

"I was not willing to do so and cried but the officer pushed my head to the genitals of that detainee and asked me to perform oral sex. That detainee refused to participate too but he was beaten up," said the female detainee in the report.

Stripped naked

However the male detainee was later brought away when another two police officers passed by the room.

"The two officers then told me that this kind of harassment is 'something usual' in the lock-up for murder suspects because they want us to admit to the offences, and if I confess, my husband and daughter will be released," she reported.

The woman also claimed the police threatened to rape her daughter.

According to Manoharan, the woman's husband too lodged a police report, claiming he was assaulted and harassed by the police.

In his report, the man said he was stripped naked, photographed and asked to appear nude in front of her daughter.

A police officer known o­nly as "Mohd Talib" from the Gombak district police station was named in the two police reports.

Contacted by malaysiakini this afternoon, an officer who answered the call in Gombak OCPD Massari Hashim's office claimed he was not familiar with the name "Mohd Talib". Massari could not be contacted for comment.

'Criminal intimidation'

Manoharan called o­n the Attorney-General to take immediate action against the police officer.

"This is criminal intimidation and sexual harassment against detainees. This is the first time we hear about detainees being forced to perform oral sex.

"The Inspector-General of Police (Norian Mai) should suspend the police officer immediately and take disciplinary action against him," he said.

Manoharan also said that action should be taken against the Gombak OCPD and the other two police officers for "abetting and aiding" the sexual harassment.

"They are all responsible and answerable to what had happened," Manoharan, who is also a lawyer, said.

"If the AG and IGP failed to take any action, we will file an application in the High Court," he added.

Meanwhile, the pro tem president of Parti Rakyat Reformasi Malaysia (Prim) P Uthayakumar urged the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia to set up an independent inquiry to determine the truth of this case.

"Malaysians seem to accept beating as normal in lock-up but we don't want sexual harassment to become a norm too," he said.

The woman is now remanded at the Kajang women prison while her husband is in Sungai Buloh prison.