Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has defended the purple lock-up uniforms of criminal detainees who are remanded to facilitate police probes.

In a parliamentary reply dated Nov 8, Zahid said the detainees' uniforms were designed to ensure that they were appropriately dressed.

"The special uniform for the detainees when they are kept at the police lock-up was designed to ensure they are given proper clothes that are according to standard, are not detrimental to them, and do not endanger them during their arrest," he said.

The minister was responding to N Surendran (PKR-Padang Serai), who asked whether the police or the MACC planned to cease their practice of having remanded detainees wear purple and orange lock-up uniforms respectively...