A female detainee who was asked to strip naked while in police custody for taking part in the Kesas highway gathering on Nov 5 is going to sue the police for sexually abusing and humiliating her in front of other detainees.

Norazimah Mohd Nor, 25, will also be lodging a police report against the female officer, Dayang Safinah, who allegedly abused her at the Kapar police station, Klang, Selangor.

"I'll be talking to my lawyers to plan my next course of action," Nora told malaysiakini today after speaking to reporters at Keadilan's headquarters in Phileo Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.

"It is pointless just to lodge a police report because the ones taking down the report are the police themselves," she said, adding that the incident has changed her cheerful disposition to one that is sullen and depressed.

Nora was one of the five women among 125 people detained at Kesas Hughway where 10,000 people were stopped on their way to Jalan Kebun, Klang, for the 100,000 People's Gatherng at Jalan Kebun, Klang, organised by Keadilan.

Nora claimed she was stripped naked in front of other female detainees and forced to do pump-ups. She said the police officers kept calling her "stupid" and insulted her for supporting the reformasi movement.

She was also threatened that untoward incidents would befall her family since her children are enrolled in a government school and the family lives in a house provided by the Kuala Lumpur city municipality, she added.

Nora said she has been mentally and physically tortured for four consecutive days by four officials, including Dayang, who took turns to question and threaten her, calling her derogatory names. She said the other three officers wore plain clothes.

She said to date, only her identity card has been returned to her. Her other belongings, such as her car keys and video tapes, are still in police custody.

Nora, who has been detained three times before, added that the incident has not dampened her spirit and that she will continue attending reformasi gatherings because of "justice and to fight against oppression and corruption".

Task force on violence

Meanwhile, Keadilan wanita chief Fuziah Salleh said that the party condemned the "sexual abuse, violence and humiliation, which constitute torture, perpetrated against Nora and all other women while in police custody".

"We will not allow this trend to continue. It violates all fundamental human rights," said Fuziah.

"We hold the Inspector-General of Police (Norian Mai) and the Home Affairs Minister (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) fully accountable for the abuse experienced by the detainees."

She said that Keadilan women's wing will set up a task force to monitor, document and evolve actions to stop state violence.

The group will also be working in solidarity with other women's groups to fight against violence against women.

Fuziah added that Keadilan will document all cases of abuse and submit the report to the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam).

A report will also be presented to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Torture and Human Rights Commissioner Mary Robinson in Geneva.

'Women against women'

Fuziah expressed disappointment that there are women who are not sensitive to the needs of other women.

In Nora's case, it was a woman committing violence against another woman, contrary to popular belief that violence against women is mostly perpetrated by men, said Fuziah.

She also challenged Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and the Women's Welfare Council (Hawa) with regard to their seriousness in wiping out violence against women.

"The National Steering Committee on Violence Against Women (Nscovaw) must start with the enforcement agencies, especially the police force, to eliminate violence against women," said Fuziah.

"The government of the day must be consistent with what it preaches. We cannot have one arm of the government expressing the need to stop violence against women when the other arm like the police continues to unashamedly, sexually abuse, harass and torture women in custody."

Shahrizat, who is also the member of parliament for Lembah Pantai in Kuala Lumpur, heads the newly formed Nscovaw.