A Bangladeshi witness today told the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate Court that he was kicked and beaten with a wooden stick for refusing to bribe a policeman during his detention in an illegal immigrants camp.

"I felt like dying. The thought of my children came to me because I thought I was going to die. I cried from the beginning. I was moaning and screaming in pain, calling for my father and mother," Zakir Hussein said while testifying in the "false news" trial of Tenaganita director Irene Fernandez.

Fernandez is being charged with "maliciously publishing false news" for releasing a memorandum about tortures and deaths in the illegal immigrants detention camps at a press conference in August 1995.

The women's rights activist and Keadilan supreme council member faces three years in prison if convicted. She is currently out on bail.

Zakir, who was detained in the Semenyih detention camp in 1995, told magistrate Juliana Mohamed that he was severely beaten by a policeman named Ramu after he was unable to pay Ramu RM25 for a favour.

"Ramu used to deal with bringing in money for the detainees. One day he asked who wanted to bring in money and I responded. I asked him to get me money from my brother-in-law in Klang.

"He came back the next day and said I could not get any money from him so I'd better give him some money," Zakir said, speaking through an interpreter.

Zakir said Ramu demanded RM25 from him, which was half the amount of money he had requested from his brother-in-law.

"I explained to him that if he could not bring down the money how could I give him the money. He kept insisting that I pay him the money even if it meant that I have to borrow from other inmates like Bangladeshi, Indonesians and Filipinos.

"But nobody lent me the money. Then Ramu took me to the ground floor. He suddenly slapped me on my face with his right hand and demanded money. Then he kicked me twice and I fell on the floor," he said.

Asked which part of his body he was kicked at, Zakir said it was the side of his waist and his back.

"He used his foot. He was wearing a pair of black shoes, like the police shoes, heavy ones, long boots. I felt very sad that I didn't have any money and was being beaten. I also felt extreme pain at my side and was shivering. The pain stayed for three to four days. I had no money to escape this beating.

'I held his legs for forgiveness'

"I requested for forgiveness because I didn't have any money. He did not respond to my appeals and continued to demand for the money. While I was lying on the floor and seeking his forgiveness, he picked up a stick and started beating me. The stick was made of wood and it was the handle of a sweeping mop," Zakir said.

He added that he tried to protect his head and face with his hands but could not do anything as his hands were also hit.

Asked further by defence counsel M Puravalen to explain how he felt during the beating, Zakir replied, "I cannot explain to you how painful it was. It was the most extreme pain I have ever felt. Immediately my body showed the swelling and black marks all over.

"I repeatedly asked for his forgiveness. I even held his legs for forgiveness but he didn't stop. I held on to his feet. It is the way we seek forgiveness in our country.

"Ramu was not moved, he was not convinced. He kept on demanding for the money which he said he spent on the taxi fare for the travelling and wants to get it back. I tried to speak, (but) my mouth (was) dried up. I was feeling pain in my throat and choking."

Zakir added that the whole incident happened for between 20 and 25 minutes.

The hearing was later adjourned to tomorrow morning. Zakir, who is the third former detainee to testify, is scheduled to continue his testimony when the hearing resumes.