KUALA LUMPUR: A 60-year-old housewife has alleged that she was forced to strip in a police station and walk around in circles three times in front of two policewomen.

Lim Nee Cheng Pik Wai also alleged that the policewomen helped themselves to some money in her handbag when she was in custody on March 11.

"I have never felt so humiliated in my life ... walking in the nude with the policewomen laughing at me," she said in a media conference held in Parliament House on March 30.

Lim's ordeal began when she was taken to the police station after she was detained by department store security guards over a misunderstanding which has been settled amicably with the store management on March 28.

In her police report lodged on March 29, Lim claimed she was instructed to take out all her cash from her handbag and place them on the table.

"Initially, one of the policewomen placed all the cash and coins into a plastic bag. While counting the money, I saw her taking out several notes and putting them in a drawer.

"She told me that it was her bribe money (duit rasuah). She said 'bei ngo yam cha' (Cantonese for 'give me tea money').

"She also asked for my bank ATM card PIN number but I refused. She said if I did not give the number, I would be made to do squats ... that's when I was ordered to remove my jewellery and get into a lock-up where I was told to strip."

Lim said her husband turned up at the station at 8pm to bail her out. Her husband then asked the policewoman to return all the money but it was short of RM209 (total RM469).

"The policewoman then said a police report would be made against him (Lim's husband)," she added.

MP Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh), who arranged for the press conference, said: "I am quite perturbed by the strip procedures, despite assurances from senior police officers that new guidelines had been issued as the IGP's Standing Order."

"With new body search guidelines, why is such abuse still happening?" she asked.

Kuala Lumpur deputy CPO SAC (I) Datuk Ahmad Baharin Idrus confirmed a police report was lodged with the Dang Wangi police station.

"Investigations are in progress. So I will not be able to make any comments on the matter," he said.

On March 3, IGP Tan Sri Bakri Omar announced police had produced their own rules on conducting body searches "to protect the dignity and pride" of suspects.

The IGP's Standing Order on Code of Practices for Body Searches requires the suspect to be practically attired during searches instead of "partially dressed" as suggested by the Royal Commission on the Police Force..

The order excluded recommendations that intimate searches could only be done by a doctor or hospital assistant or registered nurse, acting under the direction of a doctor and a requirement to obtain warrants to conduct intimate searches.

Bakri confirmed that the document, which is being fine-tuned, would contain guidelines for body searches and would take about three months to be adopted.