What about our fellow Malaysians like Nora?

PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has reportedly offered apology to China for the police torture and maltreatment of its nationals in Malaysia. If it is true, it reflects PM Abdullah's understanding of the ABC of modern international relations.

However, Parti KeADILan Rakyat's vice-president Dr. Lee Boon Chye (bottom) has also raised a very pertinent point. The Ipoh heart specialist recalls in a Chinese-language statement that some Reformasi supporters, like our friend and fellow Malaysian Cik Nora (top), who were arrested by the police during the 10,000-strong peaceful demonstration along the Kesas Highway in November 2001 were also stripped naked by police personnel and humiliated.

The questions here are obvious: foreign nationals in Malaysia enjoy the protection of their governments as a matter of national dignity and also international law, but what about ordinary Malaysians like Cik Nona?

Do we enjoy the effective protection of our own government when we are maltreated or our human rights and dignity are violated by some psychopaths, saddists and sex maniacs in the security units.

Logding police reports to investigate police abuses of power? Don't make me laugh, dudes.

Has the government apologised to hundreds of makcik-makcik, pakcik-pakcik and adik-adik who were sprayed with chemicals and tear-gas by riot police at the National Mosque or along Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman or Lorong Haji Taib in the 1998-2000 series of peaceful protests?

Nora, thank you for giving me permission to use your photograph. You look cooooooooool ...