Will the MACC Chief Commissioner, Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad and top MACC officers be arrested and investigated for abuse of power in unlawfully requiring individuals arrested to facilitate graft investigations to wear orange lock-up uniforms in court in remand proceedings?
What is the use of MACC officials saying that arrest and remand process are just to facilitate investigations and not equivalent to guilt for the crime of corruption, when persons arrested by MACC and whose remand are sought in the courts are publicly humiliated, demeaned and insulted by being forced to be handcuffed and appear in court in MACC lockup uniform, as if they have already become guilty of the crime of corruption?
This is clearly a gross abuse of power.
Whether the persons arrested and to be remanded are from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition or the Opposition, the MACC should not publicly humiliate, demean or insult them by forcing them to wear the orange lock-up uniform when brought to court, which is as good as tantamount to pronouncing them guilty of corruption even before a full trial.
I fully agree with the PKR MP for Padang Serai, N. Surendran, who said the MACC is acting unlawfully by forcing individuals arrested to facilitate graft investigations to wear orange lockup uniforms, as happened to Penang Exco member Phee Boon Poh and the former Felda chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Isa Samad in the past few days.
Surendran is right when he said that this practice is in breach of the principle that a person is innocent until proven guilty, and hence, is unlawful and in breach of Article 5 of the Federal Constitution.
Such unlawful and improper practices by MACC should cease immediately.