‘Parental support vital in rehabilitating juvenile delinquents’
KUCHING: The support of parents is equally important in helping to rehabilitate inmates at Henry Gurney School.
Minister of Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Datuk Fatimah Abdullah said frequent visits and motivation given by parents could help build a new attitude among youths during the rehabilitation process.
She said although the Prisons Department has developed and implemented a rehabilitation module targeted at juveniles in Henry Gurney schools with attitude building, knowledge and skills development as the main objectives, parents still need to play their part.
“It is the wish of all – teachers, prison warden and the government – that these children when they come out from the school will be changed people.
“And I hope parents too will play their part to ensure that the children can be rehabilitated,” she said during the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia excellence and motivational programme for inmates at Henry Gurney School in Puncak Borneo Prison yesterday.
Fatimah advised the inmates to make full use of the rehabilitation process to transform themselves and build new lives.
“Stay positive. During the rehabilitation process here, be disciplined not just in your way of life but also in your skills training and academic studies.
“We all want to see you succeed in life when you come to face the real world outside again. We believe you all can change and become disciplined citizens, abide by all the regulations, be active and practise a healthy way of life,” she said.
Fatimah said the Henry Gurney School was set up at Puncak Borneo Prison to give juvenile delinquents in Sarawak a second chance.
“You are the ones who determine your own destiny. While we will try our best to rehabilitate, train and help you to acquire academic qualifications, it’s you who will determine whether you want to change and whether you want to excel or succeed in life.
“But my advice to you all is make sure that the time you spend at this school is fully utilised to build a new attitude, new character, new life and better future,” she said.