KUALA LUMPUR: The purple lock-up uniform worn by criminal detainees are proper and meets the standard, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said the purple lock-up uniform, which are worn by suspects remanded in police detention to facilitate investigation, ensures that they have proper clothes.
“The uniform are not detrimental to them, and do not endanger them while they are under arrest,” said Ahmad Zahid, who is also Home Minister, in a recent parliamentary reply.
The reply was in response to N. Surendran (PKR-Padang Serai) who queried if the police or Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) are considering to stop the practice of having remanded detainees to wear purple and orange lock-up uniforms respectively.
Ahmad Zahid said the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) has the power to decide on the colour of the uniform as provisioned under Section 97 of the Police Act which allows the IGP to issue a permanent order or administration instruction for the police force.
The deputy prime minister noted that the IGP issued a detailed lock-up management and lock-up uniform permanent order under the provision in 2009.
Surendran, who is PKR vice-president, had previously accused the police and MACC of breaching their own standard operating procedures (SOP) on lock-up uniforms.
In August, he criticised former IGP Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar of not knowing the police's own lock-up rules and SOP as issued by Bukit Aman.
Surendran argued that under the Lock-up Rules 1953, the police have no authority to bring criminal detainees to court wearing the purple uniform and it violates the principle of a suspect being innocent until proven guilty.
He claimed that unconvicted persons had the right to wear their own clothes.
Reports by ARFA YUNUS, BEATRICE NITA JAY and FERNANDO FONG