The orange-coloured lockup detention uniform made headlines in Malaysia after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim urged that the requirement for suspects held by MACC to wear the uniform be dropped when they are brought to court, provided they fully cooperate with investigations.
MACC subsequently released a statement saying that it had suspended the use of the orange detention shirt for individuals under investigation who are brought to court for remand applications.
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However, things get a bit confusing when you realise that there is another orange detention uniform, which is issued by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) for detainees accused of serious criminal offences.
Even more complicated is the fact that there are seven other distinct coloured uniforms worn by detainees and inmates in Malaysia!
So, what are the differences between these coloured uniforms? With insights from Kuala Lumpur-based law firm ADIL Legal, we break them down in detail below.
The orange uniform
The orange shirt is issued by two authorities in the country, the MACC and PDRM, with the main difference being that the former sports the MACC (or SPRM in Malay) initials on it.
According to ADIL Legal, the issuance of this uniform is authorised under the standing orders of both respective authorities: the Inspector-General’s Standing Orders (IGSO) under Section 97 of the Police Act 1967 for PDRM, and Section 12 of the MACC Chief Commissioner’s Standing Orders under the MACC Act 2009 for the MACC.
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Do note that both documents are classified as internal guidelines and are not open to public access.
For the MACC, the attire is worn by individuals currently under investigation or those who have recently been apprehended by the agency and held within its lockup.
For PDRM, the orange uniform is designated for remand detainees, referred to as Orang Kena Tuduh (OKTs), who are accused of serious criminal offences, as confirmed by former Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin in 2022.
The purple uniform
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Meanwhile, the purple shirt is also used by PDRM for remand detainees, but is specifically reserved for those involved in other types of criminal offences. PDRM categorises these OKTs based on the severity of the crime committed to help officers better manage and control their movement.
Like the orange attire, the use of the purple uniform is regulated under the IGSO pursuant to Section 97 of the Police Act 1967.
The prison uniforms
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Beyond PDRM and MACC, the Malaysian prison system features its own distinct colour-coded hierarchy managed by the Prisons Department. Inmates are assigned specific uniform colours based on the length of their sentence and their progression through rehabilitation programmes.
Four uniform colours, white, red, green, and blue, are prescribed under Regulations 35 to 39 of the Prisons Regulations 2000. Meanwhile, two other colours, fluorescent green and the white-and-red uniform, are regulated under the Prisons Commissioner General’s Standing Orders (which are also not available to the public) pursuant to Section 12 of the Prison Act 1995.
Here is what each prison uniform colour represents:
The white uniform
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White shirts are allocated to banduan or inmates serving short sentences of under six months for various offences convicted by the courts.
During their brief time, they are required to participate in awareness and rehabilitation programmes implemented by the Prisons Department before being released.
The red uniform
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For inmates serving long-term sentences (six months and above), red is the colour of the first-stage uniform, often referred to as the “red collar” stage.
Inmates must wear this for a period of three months while undergoing the initial phase of the Human Capital Development Programme (Program Permodalan Insan or PPI). This begins with the Orientation Phase, and inmates must meet specific criteria before progressing to the next stage.
The green uniform
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The “green collar” uniform represents the second stage, worn from the 3-month mark up to 18 months (1 year and 6 months) of imprisonment. Most inmates at this level undergo Phase 2 of the PPI, which focuses on character reinforcement.
This phase is divided into two learning components: Halaqah for religious or spiritual development, and the Therapeutic Community approach for social and psychological therapy.
The blue uniform
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The “blue collar” stage is assigned to inmates who have served more than 18 months. This group includes those serving long-term sentences, such as life imprisonment (banduan seumur hidup) and natural life imprisonment (banduan hayat).
Having completed the learning phases of the PPI, these inmates are eligible to work in the various vocational workshops provided within the prison facility.
The fluorescent green uniform
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The bright or fluorescent green uniform designates pre-release inmates (Pra-Bebas). Originally transitioning from red, green, or blue uniforms, these individuals have less than three months remaining on their sentence before release.
They are selected to work outside the prison perimeter under the close supervision of prison officers. Inmates participating in the Community Rehabilitation Programme (Program Pemulihan Pemasyarakatan) also wear this same bright green attire.
The red-and-white uniform
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It is no exaggeration to say that this uniform is the most feared among inmates. Those who wear it are classified as death row prisoners (banduan akhir or BA).
These individuals are either awaiting execution by hanging or waiting for the outcome of Federal Court appeals to commute their death sentences to life imprisonment.
What do you guys think of the different coloured uniforms and what they represent? Share your thoughts with us in the comments and stay tuned to WORLD OF BUZZ for more informative articles such as this!
