KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 3 — Royal Malaysian Customs Department deputy director general Datuk Zainul Abidin Taib brushed aside the underwear mask protest by Customs officers on their way to court on September 24.
He denied any relation to the five officers who shielded their faces with underwear in protest to claims that senior officers were unwilling to offer them legal assistance.
Zainul Abidin said the accused acted in such a way because they only wanted to shield their faces.
“At that point in time, the accused were undergoing investigations, so they just covered their faces,” he said.
“It did not mean they were retaliating against senior officials.”
Zainul Abidin said the Customs Department would also re-evaluate staff members to determine if they were fit for duty.
He said a special team would be formed to investigate Customs officials through a holistic approach.
“We will review the current standard of operating procedures but will also review characteristics of each staff member to see if he or she is suitable for a posting,” he said.
“Morale among Customs officers is still good but we want to ensure these incidents will be reduced or prevented.”
Zainul Abidin said the department would not look into the links between Customs officials and officials from the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) at this point in time but would do so in the future.
Five Customs officers, including a Datuk who was a state director, used underwear to shield their faces from being photographed on their way to a court appearance.
The five were among the 15 brought to the magistrates’ court to have their remand orders extended and allow the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) more time to investigate them for their alleged involvement in smuggling cigarettes and alcohol.
