PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub has called on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to apologise to Malaysians over the mistreatment of the woman who was forced to strip naked and performed ear squats in a police station.

He said since the premier was thoughtful enough to instruct Home Affairs Minister Azmi Khalid to apologise to the Chinese government over the mistreatment of Chinese nationals during a six-day trip to Beijing, then he should also do the same to his fellow Malaysians.

"Abdullah owes Malaysians - especially the Malays - an apology over the police abuse faced by the woman," he told malaysiakini.

He felt that the fence-mending mission to Beijing led by Azmi was probably to safeguard the bilateral trade ties between the two countries especially with China's growing economic power.

"Was the apology accorded to Beijing because the government was truly sorry for the police abuse? Or because they were worried that China would withdraw from participating in the just-concluded East Asian Summit?"

Salahuddin also commented on Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang's theory that the identity of the woman was kept secret to protect Umno's chances of beating PAS in the Pengkalan Pasir by-election, saying that it was possible.

"The theory may have some basis. I believe that PAS could garner by 15 to 20 percent more votes if we were able to spin the issue to the people of Pengkalan Pasir which is a Malay heartland."

The by-election saw Barisan Nasional's Hanafi Mamat defeating PAS' Hanifa Mat Alwi and independent candidate Ibrahim Ali.

Hypocritical government

Meanwhile, PAS Kelantan leader Husam Musa believed that the nationality or race of the woman was immaterial stating that no one - irrespective of race, national or gender- should be subjected to such cruel treatment by the police.

"The real issue is whether the practice to order detainees to strip and do ear squats should be allowed. The police told the inquiry that it is acceptable but shouldn't there be some other ways because the way they are doing now strips a person of his or her dignity."

He hoped that the issue will not rest even if the policeman who was alleged to have taped the incident is punished.

"He taped the incident because the procedure exists. If there is no such procedure, such misdeeds would not have taken place."

He also said it was hypocritical for the government to express alarm on the incident when such practice is not a secret.

"Look, (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) Syed Husin (Ali) wrote about it in his book ( Two Faces ). The reformasi activists also suffered such abuse but no one (in the government) took notice then. So why make noise this time around?"

In 2001, it was reported that reformasi activist Norazimah Mohd Nor was ordered to strip and do ear-squats 10 times at a Kapar police station lock-up following her arrest on Nov 4, 2000 - a day before the scheduled '100,000 People's Gathering' on Jalan Kebun, Shah Alam.