SHAH ALAM - Senior lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla does not rule out the possibility that Datuk Seri Najib Razak is treated differently than other prisoners in jail, but this must be based on security factors.
Haniff, however, said it was not a two-tier special treatment as alleged by some parties or provided with luxurious meals.
"We need to differentiate between two things, namely different treatment for the safety of the prisoner, or different treatment that provides more privileges. These are two different things.
"Like Datuk Seri Najib, he is a former prime minister serving a prison sentence.
"There must be among the other prisoners who may harbour hatred towards him.
"So in this situation, the prisoner's safety requires different treatment," he said.
According to him, Najib might be exposed to security threats if given the same treatment as other prisoners.
He said that this difference in treatment not only applies to former national leaders but also former judges and former top police leadership.
"Other prisoners may want to seek revenge if they encounter these individuals. So, under certain circumstances, different treatment is necessary for security reasons," he said.
Haniff said this in response to claims by preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin, as quoted by a local portal on Thursday, alleging that he had seen Najib in Kajang Prison but received 'very special treatment' compared to other prisoners.
"I used to see him not wearing prisoner clothes like the rest of us. He wore regular clothes, like being at home," said Wan Ji, adding that Najib was placed in a 'special block', unlike himself.
Wan Ji was recently released on March 22 after serving several months in prison following a conviction for sedition linked to the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, in 2014.
Meanwhile, Haniff said Wan Ji's allegations were unclear, as if he were throwing stones and hiding his hands to expose the issue of Najib's special treatment in prison.
"Ask him to explain first what he means by special treatment.
"We need to understand first what this special treatment entails.
"It is different if he reveals that Najib eats five times a day, has an English-style breakfast, or has prawns served for lunch," he said.