Prison cookies a big hit
Pastries by women inmates selling like hot cakes
PETALING JAYA: It is the norm for many celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri to buy festive cookies from stores or bakers.
With the conditional movement control order (MCO) still in place, some are resorting to a new normal by placing orders for these delicacies from prison.
It may appear peculiar but these handmade products by women inmates in 10 prisons around Peninsular Malaysia are selling like hot cakes.
The Prisons Department’s vocational and industrial division marketing unit warden Kpl Khairul Amin Zaini said more than 50% of the 40 types of cookies were sold out.
“The brownie cookies made by the women’s prison in Kajang were sold out within two weeks. Last Saturday, pineapple tart, maruku curry, mini popia and almond crunchy were also sold out,” he said at the prison complex’s My Pride gallery, where 12,000 containers of cookies were up for sale this year.
Marketed under the brand name My Pride, the cookies cost between RM11 and RM27 per container.
Despite the conditional MCO, Kpl Khairul said demand picked up as customers were allowed to order online via the department’s website.
“They can pick up their orders via drive-through. Following the conditional MCO, business has been very encouraging every day.
“We expect to break last year’s record of 9,000 containers of cookies sold,” he said. The gallery is open daily from 8am to 4pm. For more information, visit its Facebook page on Galeri My Pride – Produk Penjara.