A second chance for prisoners to rebuild their lives

KAJANG - Muhammad Ali (not his real name) will never forget that night in June 2016 that ended with him behind bars.

He was arrested for drug trafficking and abuse in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, and eventually, slapped with a 12-year prison sentence after being convicted under Section 39a (2) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

"To tell the truth, not a day goes by without me regretting my involvement with drugs. If I could turn back time, I would tell myself that such activities were pointless and meaningless,” he said when met by Bernama at Kajang Prison here recently.

Wiping away his tears, Muhammad Ali said he was 31 then and supported himself and his parents by working as an air conditioner repairman in Damansara.

"Initially, I was just a drug user but under the influence of friends who promised me a luxurious life, I also got involved in small-scale trafficking,” he said.

In the early days as a prison inmate, Muhammad Ali felt lost, believing his life was over and that he had no future.

Later, having realised there was no point in crying over spilled milk, he decided to turn over a new leaf and serve his sentence as best as he could by taking part in activities organised by the prison authorities.

Last year, he was selected to undergo the 'Sinar di Sebalik Tirai Besi' programme, a new initiative spearheaded by the Housing and Local Government Ministry and implemented in partnership with the Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation (SWCorp) and Home Ministry to assist prisoners to build new lives for themselves when they are released from prison.

Under the programme, the inmates of selected prisons are offered an opportunity to take the Malaysian Skills Certification (SKM) course in solid waste management and public cleansing. Upon completing the course, they are awarded the SKM Level 2 certificate and guaranteed employment with SWCorp after serving their prison sentences, thus enabling them to earn an income to support their respective families.

GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

The first batch of inmates who completed the course, including Muhammad Ali, received their certificates during a convocation ceremony held at Universiti Putra Malaysia in June this year.

Muhammad Ali told Bernama wearing the convocation robe at the graduation event will remain as one of his most cherished memories.

"We certainly welcome initiatives like this (SKM) course because we all know how difficult it is for people like us to find employment,” he said, adding he has already received a job offer as a public cleansing operator.

"During the course, we were exposed to both theoretical and practical knowledge in solid waste management and public cleansing. Some of the cleaning activities we have to do are grass cutting, road and drain cleaning, and removing waste from illegal dumpsites.”

Rajasamy (not his real name), who was also among the first batch of graduates, said taking the SKM course opened his eyes to the important role played by the solid waste management and public cleansing sector.

"This programme made me realise that cleaning jobs are truly noble. I used to mock cleaning workers but looking back, I deeply regret how poorly I treated them back then,” he said.

Rajasamy, 31, a former lorry attendant, is currently serving a five-year prison sentence after he was convicted under Section 6(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958 in 2021 for carrying a dangerous weapon in public.

Scheduled to be released from prison soon, Rajasamy said his mother is very happy to see the change in him as he has not only become a better person but also more disciplined.

IMPROVE SKILLS

Meanwhile, SWCorp chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Husaini Abdul Rahman said the collaboration between SWCorp and the Prisons Department of Malaysia on the 'Sinar di Sebalik Tirai Besi' programme began in July 2022.

"SWCorp has been offering the Malaysian Skills Certification programme through the Solid Waste Training Centre since 2019, and (in 2022) we partnered with the prison authorities to make (SKM course in) solid waste management and public cleansing one of the training programmes for their 'prospects' (inmates with potential).

"A programme such as this is crucial as it can help more prisoners to lead better lives once they have completed their sentences,” he told Bernama.

Ahmad Husaini said a total of 17 prison institutions are involved in this programme and that 280 inmates, or apprentices as they are referred to by the concessionaire, were enrolled in the first intake in June 2023.

Of that number, 258 succeeded in completing the eight-month course and received their SKM Level Two certificates. For the second intake this month, 275 apprentices have been registered.

He added that SWCorp aims to train 1,000 prison inmates by 2030.

He also noted among the challenges faced by the instructors is helping the apprentices understand the work processes, key performance indicators and safety ethics.

MANPOWER

Meanwhile, out of the 258 apprentices who completed their course recently, 137 were offered jobs by SWCorp after passing the interview process and meeting the parole conditions set by the Prisons Department, Ahmad Husaini said, adding the apprentices are free to work with any company they choose.

He said the training costs are funded through government-allocated funds, and throughout the eight-month course, apprentices receive a monthly incentive of RM500.

"Upon completing the training, each apprentice will receive a cash sum of RM4,000. This money will certainly help them and their families,” he said.

He added the opportunity given to prison inmates to take the SKM course has great potential to supply local manpower to the solid waste management and public cleansing industry.

"I say this because 8,910 or 30 percent of the (industry’s) total 27,345 workers nationwide comprise foreigners. We need to increase local participation in fields considered difficult, dangerous and dirty or ‘3D’.

"Companies can enter into contracts with prospects during their parole period and then absorb them as permanent employees once the parole period ends,” he explained, adding this approach could also address the high turnover rate faced by concession companies.

STRICT SCREENING

Meanwhile, Prisons deputy commissioner-general (Security & Correctional) Datuk Abdul Aziz Abdul Razak said a strict screening process is conducted before any inmate is allowed to participate in programmes organised by the 36 Industry Lead Body (ILB) companies, including SWCorp, within prison institutions.

He said among the selection criteria are they should be aged below 50 and were not involved in serious crimes such as robbery. They must also have basic reading, writing and arithmetic skills, and pass both a psychometric test and fitness test.

"This stringent screening is necessary to instill confidence in concession companies when considering prospects for employment later on. If possible, we aim to enhance all the skills required by the industry because we have approximately 28,000 inmates who could potentially be transformed into skilled workers and also stand a good chance of early release,” he said.

Currently, there are around 85,000 inmates serving prison sentences in the country.

"One of the roles of prison institutions is to equip them with the necessary knowledge because we still see a stigma attached to former inmates, even though the Prisons Department places great emphasis on rehabilitation and correctional programmes to ensure they can be accepted into the workforce and lead normal lives (after their release),” Abdul Aziz said.

This approach, he added, aligns with the new strategy of the Prisons Department, which is "rehabilitate and treat” rather than "detain and punish” as was the case previously.

The new approach has also successfully reduced overcrowding in prisons, similar to what is observed in developed countries.

Commenting on the SKM course offered by SWCorp, Abdul Aziz said: "It’s our (Prisons Department and SW Corp’s) hope that they will use the knowledge they gain to earn an income as well as improve the image of ex-prisoners.”

He said the Prisons Department has also implemented another programme called Your Second Chance in collaboration with the construction industry.

This initiative saw the involvement of 120 inmates in the construction of the LRT3 project, extending from Bandar Utama in Petaling Jaya to Johan Setia, Klang, undertaken by the Ministry of Transport.

"Hence, the industry should not underestimate the capabilities of our prospects as we have equipped them with various skills including operating machinery and equipment. The Prisons Department hopes to attract more strategic collaborations with various industry players to turn our prospects into skilled workers,” he said.

He added the correctional programmes conducted by the department also succeeded in rehabilitating prisoners because the incidence of recidivism after release stood at only 0.4 percent. - BERNAMA