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BUSINESSMAN Albert Tei filed a civil suit against the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Azam Baki and the government.
In the suit filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday, he alleged that he was forced to wear an orange lock-up shirt while under investigation, reported The New Straits Times.
His lawyer, N. Surendran, questioned the legal basis for requiring a person who was merely under investigation to be dressed in lock-up attire.
Surendran said photographs of Tei, which later circulated widely, had created the impression that he was already guilty.
Tei was seeking a court declaration that the action was unconstitutional, as well as damages to be assessed by the court.
"Can this loss of dignity ever be restored?" he questioned, adding that no laws in Malaysia allowed for such a practice.
The remarks were made after the mention of Tei's corruption case, which also involves former prime minister's political secretary Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin.
Tei said this would not be his only suit and alleged that he was forced to wear an orange T-shirt bearing the word "lock-up", was handcuffed and paraded to several locations.
"I will not give up," he said, adding that he is a victim and whistleblower in several scandals involving influential figures.
Tei also questioned why prominent individuals such as former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, his wife and others were not made to wear the same attire, alleging double standards in enforcement.
He claimed that MACC had effectively passed judgment before a court decision and challenged the agency to explain its legal basis and provide statistics on those arrested, made to wear orange lock-up attire and later acquitted by the courts.
To symbolise his fight, he purchased the same shirt online and created a social media platform featuring a photograph of himself wearing it. The shirt is named Albert Tei Reformati. – January 8, 2026