Yahweh Passim Nam, an ex-US Navy officer is considering suing the Tourism Ministry for US$6 million (RM23 million) for causing him grief and trauma.

Nam, who is now residing in Honolulu, Hawaii, is back in Malaysia to seek compensation for what he had to go through.

Nam was picked up by the authorities in civilian clothes on Nov 16 last year in Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur.

Despite Nam's endless pleas to be allowed to retrieve his passport from the hotel he was staying, the officers handcuffed him and hauled him into a truck which already contained several Africans.

He was brought to a detention camp and was held there for 18 hours before given permission to contact the US Embassy and the manager of his hotel.

He was released when the hotel manager and an US Embassy official produced relevant documents that proved his tourist status.

"I was back in Chinatown (where he was arrested) yesterday just reliving the moment, and I can assure you that it is not pretty," said Nam who has been concentrating on surfing since his retirement.

"The whole episode could have stopped if they allowed me to go and get my passport from the hotel I've been staying," he told malaysiakini.

To see Tengku Adnan

Nam, 36, said that he is currently discussing legal procedures with his Malaysian lawyer, and that he will be in contact with more lawyers soon.

"My lawyer and I are going to meet Tourism Minister (Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor) on Monday," said Nam, who had just returned from a vacation in China

Nam, who enjoys traveling explained that he will not stay more than a week in Malaysia even though he has a 90-day tourist visa due to his past experience in the country.

"So much is going to happen in this one week. If the Tourism Ministry does not respond to my demands, I will publicise the issue in America," he said.

"I will go to the American press and make this episode known there. That will affect Malaysia's tourism industry and reduce the number of American visitors," he added.

Commenting on Wayne Wright, a US lawyer who was also wrongly arrested by the authorities on Nov 16, Nam said: "Wayne will never come here again. He's xenophobic and told all his friends not to ever come to Malaysia."

Yahweh's story: A victim of racial profiling