Medical Expert Says No Need For Ear Squats To Remove Items

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 (Bernama) -- A medical expert Wednesday told the Commission of Inquiry probing a video clip of a woman forced to do ear squats in the nude at the Petaling Jaya police station that there was no need to do ear squats to discharge foreign items inserted in the vagina or rectum.
Dr Zainab Samsuddin, an obstetrics and gynaecology specialist with the Kuala Lumpur Hospital, said that squatting alone was sufficient to eject foreign objects from the rectum and vagina and that ear squats in fact had a high probability of retaining these items.
"This is because in a squatting position the pelvic muscles relax, allowing any foreign object to be ejected. When a person stands these muscles contract, so when a ear squat is performed the muscle contracts and relaxes so this is not much use for ejecting the object. With squatting alone, the objects are easier to come out," she said.
She was testifying before the commission headed by former chief justice Tun Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah and comprising former MCA deputy president Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek, former Bar Council president Kuthubul Zaman Bukhari, Wanita Umno legal bureau chief Datuk Kamilia Ibrahim and Datuk Hamzah Mohamed Rus, who serves as secretary.
Dr Zainab said that a person with good pelvic muscle control could retain a foreign object in the rectum or vagina but if the person was made to squat for a longer period the inserted object would eventually come out.
"Not only is the position important but most important is the strength of the pelvic muscle of the person. But chances are higher (that a foreign object could be expelled from the body) if the person was squatting. Ear squat would only nullify the effects of squatting," she added.
She said that while the number of ear squats done by a person was not a matter of concern, the duration in which a person squats played a major role in retrieving objects hidden in the orifices.
She said doing ear squats did not mean that foreign objects hidden in the rectum or vagina would be expelled from the body but in reverse, objects could be retained.
Holding the ear while doing ear squats did not have any bearing on expelling foreign objects hidden in the vagina or rectum as holding the ear was just to stabilise the person while doing the ear squats.
"Ear squats have a sound basis. I won't say that it is not effective at all but squatting is a faster and easier way to get foreign objects hidden in the rectum or vagina out of the body," she added.
She said that to improve the procedure of removing hidden foreign objects from the rectum or vagina, one had only to squat and cough as the pressure of the cough would help eject the foreign object.

The commission also heard the testimony of Assoc Prof Dr Ashraf Mohamed Hashim, an expert in Islamic studies attached to the International Islamic University Malaysia.
From a religious point of view, Ashraf said that displaying one's "aurat" was wrong, unless it was absolutely necessary.
He was asked by the commission if a suspect could be stripped naked and a search conducted on the person's body.
"Even when there is a necessity, it should not be total. The degree in which a person could be stripped is not conclusive. A person can only be stripped to a needed degree.
"Doing ear squat is allowed but only when it is necessary. Body search is also allowed by Islam but there must be reasonable suspicion that the person did indeed commit an offence," he added.
Dr Ashraf said there was no need for a person to expose her top while doing ear squats.
He suggested that suspects use an apron-like garment as this was allowed from the "syarak" point of view.
He said doing ear squats naked should be corrected by the police as it was incorrect from the religious point of view.