Ok, lets assume for a tiny moment that the law makes right in whats been dubbed "Squatgate". Lets assume for a moment that Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Noh Omar knows what he's talking about, and the law allows for a humiliating body search to be conducted on detainees (of course, this is debatable).
"I dare say everything was done following the rules," he said in response to the public outcry over a video clip which shows a Chinese woman made to perform ear squats in the nude in a police lock-up. "There are lock-up rules and Standing Orders, and I will answer this in detail in Parliament tomorrow. I will quote under what section and what rules this is allowed," he said in the lobby of Parliament House.
via NST.
If the law allows for it, then the police have done nothing wrong. But that doesn't make the law right.
I find it almost disgusting that people like Datuk Noh Omar, who is an educated man, would defend the actions of the police by quoting police Standing Orders; he's almost brazen about it -- "We did nothing wrong, whatcha going to do about it?". Coupled with his irritating attitude captured by Teresa Kok when confronted with another squatgate victim, this fellow has proven himself deserving of absolutely no respect.
A responsible leader, faced with the massive outrage of the democratic society, would be wise to temper his statements: "The lock-up rules allows for such things, but i assure you that these rules will be reviewed/changed in the near future." Such a simple, common sense statement -- and a very smart one too because it makes absolutely no commitment to make changes to the rule, but it placates the people by promising action.
Perhaps 2 good things will result from Squatgate:
1. Lock-up procedures will evolve from the Stone Age. There is such a thing as drug sniffers and metal detectors -- non-invasive methods to accomplish the exact same thing current procedures seek to achieve.
And who knows... some enterprising Bumi can set up the company that will deploy such devices nationwide. Another lovely Bumi-only contract to give away to the well-connected.
2. Leaders can only be judged during a crisis. With the uninspiring quality of statements from Noh and Musa in recent days, i hope it'll encourage the top brass to put quiet pressure on them to go away peacefully once this blows over. Their replacements can't possibly be nearly as bad, and that's a good thing.
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