WOMAN PAYS HEAVY PRICE FOR HELPING FRIEND
She is detained after helping to carry bag filled with pills at China airport
WHAT started off as a good intention turned into a nightmare for a makeup artist when she was imprisoned for 30 days by the Chinese authorities for allegedly carrying traditional Chinese medicine.
Recalling the experience, Lisa Lim, 45, said she and her friend were on their way back to Malaysia after vacationing in Kunming, China, on Jan 7.
While at the airport, her friend, a person known as Datin Ng, had asked Lim to carry her bag because she had other luggage to carry.
“Without thinking, I helped carry the bag before being stopped by airport authorities at the Immigration checkpoint.
“The inspection revealed a large quantity of compressed Chinese medicine in pill form,” she said at a press conference at Wisma MCA yesterday.
Present were MCA Public Services and Complaints Department chief Datuk Seri Michael Chong and its legal adviser, James Ee.
Lim said that although sniffer dogs did not detect any drug in the bag, the Chinese authorities still detained her.
Lim also said her friend left her at the airport and boarded a flight back to Malaysia on the same day.
She was told that she would be released within three days, but she was detained for 30 days before her release on Feb 7. She returned to Malaysia the next day.
“I was released after the Chinese authorities were satisfied that the bag did not contain any drug. During the 30-day detention, I was unable to contact my family and friends, leading to speculation that I was involved in criminal activities.”
Upon arriving in Malaysia, she met Ng to seek an explanation regarding the matter.
Her friend seemed indifferent to what had happened and denied carrying any medicine in the bag.
Meanwhile, Chong said the experience of being detained by Chinese authorities had damaged Lim’s reputation and caused significant pressure on her and her family.
“The actions of her friend were highly irresponsible because she showed no concern for what happened,” he said.
Ee advised Lim to consider taking legal action against her friend.