PETALING JAYA, July 4 — Lawyer Syahredzan Johan commended the authorities for allowing Datuk Seri Najib Razak the freedom to don a suit and tie for his arraignment over 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal today.
Currently a political secretary to DAP MP Lim Kit Siang, Syahredzan noted the different treatment accorded the former prime minister from most other suspects arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
“I welcome the decision of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) which allowed Datuk Seri Najib to wear his own clothes, and also not handcuffs, when facing the court this morning.
“A person who is arrested should be given the freedom to wear his own attire when brought to court and is not obliged to wear lock-up clothes,” he said in a statement.
By convention, most people taken into MACC custody are made to wear the distinctive bright orange lock-up uniform when appearing in court, even for a remand application.
A recent example of this was when the MACC brought a 42-year-old “Datuk”, who was a former special officer to Najib, to the Magistrates’ Court in Putrajaya on June 25 prior to getting a seven-day remand order.
Syahredzan said there was nothing wrong with Najib wearing his own clothes to court.
He also commended the authorities for not cuffing Najib’s hands for his court date, saying the Pekan MP had shown he was not a security risk.
“Wearing handcuffs should not be a practice if the detained individual is harmless and will not escape,’’ Syahredzan said.
Najib was seen wearing a blue suit and a red tie as he was taken to first the Sessions Court, and then transferred to the High Court in Kuala Lumpur where he was charged with criminal breach of trust and power abuse for self-gratification over the 1MDB fund embezzlement case.
