Three Malaysian men have complained to the government here that they were forced to strip naked by New Zealand officials when they arrived for a holiday, the official Bernama news agency reported.

The men, all cooks at a restaurant here, said they were then locked up for a night and deported the next day after landing at Auckland airport on July 19 as they began what they hoped would be a 10-day visit to New Zealand.

Liew Eng Teck told Bernama that he and his friends Tan Teck Hing and How Ah Wan had written to Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar about the incident and wanted an apology from New Zealand.

Gov't to probe allegation

The agency said Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had expressed sadness at news of the incident, saying Malaysians should not have been treated in that manner because most of them were responsible people.

Syed Hamid was quoted as saying the government would look into the allegation and if it was true New Zealand would have violated human rights and world ethics.

Liew said he and his friends were interviewed several times by immigration officers who were suspicious of the purpose of their visit to New Zealand, despite the fact that they held return tickets.

They were asked to strip naked, had their fingerprints taken, were placed in a lock-up and only given food and drinks after several requests had been made, Bernama quoted Liew as saying. - AFP.