A defence witness, Zakir Hossain, told the magistrate court today that he was slapped when he refused to remove his underwear upon arrival at the Semenyih illegal immigrants detention camp.

"They asked me to take off my shirt, pants and underwear. But I did not take off my underwear. I told them being a Muslim, I couldn't do that," said Zakir.

"When I refused, one of the policemen slapped me. It was very painful but I did not scream," Bangladeshi Zakir, 37, added when testifying in the "false news" trial of Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez.

Asked by defence counsel M. Puravalen what he did after being slapped, Zakir said: "I took off my underwear because I was so terrified. A Bangladeshi captain who was present told me that if I did not comply with the police orders, they would beat me up again."

[Full report to follow]