Everyone charged with graft must wear MACC’s orange garb, says Kadir

Special adviser to the prime minister on media and communication A Kadir Jasin finds it puzzling why some of the leaders probed for graft never wore the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission’s orange lock-up attire.

(FMT) – He said everyone charged in court, including former prime minister Najib Razak, must be made to wear the uniform.

“I’m sure there’s one in his size. It’s made using a stretchable material. I believe that we should insist that everybody be treated fairly.

“Justice must not only be done but must be seen to be done. I think it’s not too late to get them to wear the garb,” the veteran newsman said.

Kadir was answering a question on why former leaders like Najib, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor were not spotted wearing orange when they were charged in the Kuala Lumpur courts.

The question about the MACC attire was raised today at Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill’s annual “Up Close and Personal 2018” talk where Kadir was the guest speaker.

The dinner in previous years had featured prominent speakers like politicians Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Saifuddin Abdullah, as well as Noor Farida Ariffin from the G25 group of eminent Malays.

Kadir also spoke on how he used to demonise DAP before and how they are now allies under the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition.

He admitted that back in the days when he was the News Straits Times Press (NSTP) group editor-in-chief, he often scrutinised closely the party’s activities.

However, Kadir stated that personally, he had never shunned DAP leaders like party supremo Lim Kit Siang and its secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

“I didn’t allow ideologies to stop me from knowing them as Malaysians.

“I made a rule that NSTP should publish without fail a statement from DAP, if they came up with it, at least 15 paragraphs in a single column,” he said.

Among other things, Kadir also denied allegations that the current administration was protecting people under Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s previous administration, prosecuting only those under Najib Razak.

He said this was untrue as Najib was one of the leaders under Mahathir’s administration when the latter became the prime minister the first time.

“Najib was in Mahathir’s Cabinet like forever. Mahathir made him the youngest menteri besar ever (in Pahang). So that’s not true,” he said.