HEY, THERE YOU....ERRR.........PROSTITUTE!

Post 9/11 has seen many changes in the world. One of the most obvious change is the search and detention of a person when he or she fits into the description of a "case probable". IF (and that's a big IF) profiling is indeed able to prevent criminal acts or to preempt heinous acts of terrorism then it should be accepted. Unfortunately, almost all worldwide profiling , has taken on the ominous version of racial, political and religious bigotry. Can we truly say that, most of our (in this case) immigration officers are immuned to such perceptive bigotry when they do not have a clear understanding of the tourist's culture and language? This decade is the decade of the Renmimbi tourist, the next decade may possibly be well the Rupee. Will we be proactive today or merely reactive in a decade from today? More importantly, will it be a continuation of junk science or bigotry?

Azmi defends Immigration men
Link : NST - Hamidah Atan

PUTRAJAYA, Fri

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Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid has come out in defence of Immigration officers at airports who are alleged to have grilled female tourists from China. He said it was their job to interview arriving tourists, regardless of their home country....
Azmi said statistics compiled by ministry officials revealed that a majority of tourists, especially female Chinese visitors, refused to return home.... Azmi was commenting on a statement by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz who said yesterday that female tourists from China were often subjected to lengthy questioning by immigration officers.
Nazri, who is also the Human Rights Parliamentary Caucus chairman, said Chinese nationals should be allowed entry if their documents were complete as they had the right to visit Malaysia without conditions....He said the Government welcomed tourists from China and there should be no restrictions on them entering the country nor any form of profiling.
Meanwhile, Azmi said it was inappropriate and unfair to blame immigration officers just because one or two of them may have gone overboard.
He said immigration officers had to use their discretion to facilitate entry of tourists into the country. He, however, said that pro-active efforts were being taken to address the problem.
"Among others, we are now fast-tracking an exercise to recruit immigration officers who are well-versed in Mandarin and other foreign languages. They will be based at all airports.
"With them around, tourists will be handled in a more professional and friendly manner. They will feel more at home."
Azmi also said the Cabinet had agreed in principle to recruit more enforcement officers.