Inmates shed tears of joy at Raya reunion
PADANG BESAR: It was a heartwarming moment when 15 inmates at the Perlis Correctional Centre in Kangar were reunited with their family members to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri yesterday.
The inmates shed tears of joy when they saw their relatives waiting for them at the dining area prepared for the Jalinan Kasih programme in conjunction with Hari Raya.
For some, this was the first chance for them to hug their family members after years of serving jail sentences.
Indra (pseudonym), 33, who was serving his third year at the centre for a sexual offence under Section 376 of the Penal Code, expressed his deepest gratitude to the centre’s management for selecting him and giving him the opportunity to meet his mother, wife and three children again.
Even though the meeting lasted only a few hours, it meant a lot to Indra, who is expected to be released in 2019, especially since he could hold his youngest son, who was born shortly after he was imprisoned.
“My wife was two months’ pregnant with my youngest son when I began to serve the jail sentence here in 2013.
“It breaks my heart as I could not be there when he was born, and could look at him only from behind the facility’s glass window when my wife brought him to visit me three months later.
“I first held and kissed my baby boy during a similar Hari Raya programme last year. He was almost 2 then. I cannot express my happiness when I learnt I was selected again for the programme this year.
“I have been counting the days until I could meet my family again.”
Indra’s wife, who wished to be known as Mimi, said her children, especially the youngest, were excited to see their father. Chuping assemblyman (second from left) and Perlis Correctional Centre director
(left) look on as during the Jalinan Kasih programme held in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri at the centre yesterday. Pic by Hafizudin Mohd Safar
Mimi, 35, who does odd jobs to support her children, said although their youngest son, Irshad (pseudonym), was forced to grow up without his father by his side, he was very attached to Indra.
Mimi, who lives 8km from the centre, said she would take the children, including Irshad, to visit Indra twice a month.
She said since Hari Raya last year, every time they passed the centre, her son would call out “abah” (father),
while pointing at the centre.
“When Irshad found out that he was going to meet his abah last week, he asked me to buy him new clothes to wear for the occasion.
“He said he could not wait to show Indra his new T-shirt and tell him stories,” she said.
The centre’s director, Shahhimin Husain, said this was the first year the programme was held on a large scale. Previously, it involved only a few inmates.
Shahhimin said the aim was to provide an opportunity for as many inmates as possible to be reunited with their family members during the festive season, provided they met the criteria fixed by the centre, such as being on their best behaviour while serving their sentences.
“One of our priorities is the inmates’ welfare and this annual programme can ensure that the bond between the inmates and their families remains intact.”