Be more accepting of rehabilitated ex-inmates call
MIRI: The community needs to do away with stigmatising and provide a platform for former prisoners to reform, live meaningful lives and contribute to society instead.
According to Miri Prisons deputy enforcement officer Mohamad Khairul Farmizi Mohd Asri, acceptance, commitment and cooperation from the community is necessary to remove the stigma attached to former prisoners.
“A research under the former Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi showed that 98 per cent of the rehabilitation programme in our prisons had proven to be effective, depending on individuals.
“Nonetheless, the society needs to play a role in social context so that these former prisoners can return and live a more positive life because the responsibility of ensuring that ex-prisoners can return to the society does not fall entirely on the government,” he said at the handing over of donated dates to Miri Prisons at Sekolah Agama Rakyat Miri (SARM) recently.
Mohamad Khairul further said rehabilitation could also work in cultivating self-respect, discipline and responsibility in former prisoners by inculcating positive values that would lead to the development of good characters.
“The prison rehabilitation system is trying to change the perception of the society towards the ex-prisoners as the objectives of the rehabilitation are to restore and train prisoners through vocational, spiritual and mental activities to enable them to be useful and productive citizens.
“Currently, there are 402 inmates in Miri Prisons and this is less than last year. More than 50 per cent of the inmates are Muslims ( locals and non-locals),” he explained.
He thanked all donors for more than 100kg of dates donated including SARM’s parent-teacher committee (JKIBG), Muslim Welfare Organisation Malaysia ( Perkim) Miri branch, SK Jalan Bintang Miri, Masjid Nur Hijrah Kampung Pulau Melayu, Technip Miri, security and development committee (JKKK) of Kampung Pulau Melayu, Klinik Asiah, family of Penghulu Samion Gani and other individuals.
According to SARM JKIBG chairman Azmee Abdillah, the programme was held for the second time and he hoped to make it the school’s annual event.
“We hope with the contribution of dates, the inmates would not feel left out during this holy month of Ramadan.
“It is our prayers that they would become better people and learn from their mistakes,” he said.
Also present were SARM headmistress Fauziah Mokhtar Khan and other JKIBG members.