Kadir Remember Abdullah Ang The Prisoner Who Roamed Freely

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Amid the controversy surrounding the royal addendum which would allow former premier Najib Abdul Razak to serve the remainder of his sentence at home, veteran news editor A Kadir Jasin recalled the case of a “privileged prisoner” from the 1980s.
“If we still remember, there was a businessperson prisoner named Abdullah Ang who received special treatment, even being allowed to leave prison to do gardening. He was also a white-collar criminal,” he said in a blog post.
Kadir (above) was the editor of the New Straits Times Group when the Malay Mail exposed in 1989 that Abdullah was helping run a business in Kuala Lumpur when he was supposed to have been in a prison-run orchid farm in Negeri Sembilan.
It was also revealed that Abdullah’s prison cell was carpeted, and equipped with a refrigerator, video player and waterbed.
Kadir, who asked if a prisoner could be placed under home detention when such provisions do not exist in the Federal Constitution, felt that it is time to “stop pampering and giving special privileges to Najib”.
He also cautioned that the nation would descend into chaos if those in power chose to act as they pleased for the benefit of the nobility and the elite.
Noting that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in his Budget 2025 speech last year, stated that the government would draft a new law to allow house arrest as an alternative (to imprisonment) for certain offences, Kadir said there is currently no legal provision to mandate that prisoners be confined at home.
“In legal terms, Malaysian law currently lacks specific provisions for house arrest as an independent punishment. That is, Malaysian law at present does not have specific provisions for house arrest as a separate or standalone punishment.
“However, Section 3 of the Prisons Act 1995 grants the home minister the authority to designate any place, such as a house, building, or compound, as a prison for the purpose of detaining prisoners,” he added.
Respect parliamentary democracy
Kadir said that house arrest would usually involve the use of monitoring devices, restricted movement, and the prohibition on drinking alcohol and being near other people.
“It doesn't mean living at home like an ordinary person.
“When a place is declared a prison, it will certainly be guarded by prison officers, not by an angry wife or security guards from Nepal.
“I am confident that a sign will be put up stating that this is a prison guarded by armed wardens. This is relevant for the safety of the public who pass by,” he added.
Kadir emphasised that Malaysia is a parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy and this must be respected.
“The government governs with the will of Parliament. The power of the king is limited by the Constitution and conventions.
“It is these aspects of the constitution and conventions that are discussed in all actions involving Najib in his position as a prisoner,” he added.
Furthermore, Kadir said Najib had been accorded special treatment when the court ordered him to serve his sentence concurrently for the 10 charges.
“This means that, even in court, he has already been given special consideration.
“After that, he was also granted an early pardon. A 12-year prison sentence was reduced to six years, and a fine of RM210 million was reduced to RM50 million. What more solidarity is needed?” he added. - Mkini

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