Prisoners can now take a week off

The Star
By LOH FOON FONG and MARTIN CARVALHO
foonfong@thestar.com.my, newsdesk@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: Prisoners with a year to go in their jail term can apply for a seven-day leave to spend time with their family or make preparations to find jobs.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the programme was meant to break down the barriers between the prisoners and society.

“The prison has been perceived as a wall that divides prisoners and society,” he told reporters after a 1Malaysia Chinese New Year gathering with inmates and their families at the Kajang Prison here yesterday.

“If any of them break this trust that we have given to them, we will have to withdraw the programme,” said Hishammuddin, adding that this could be further expanded should the response prove positive.

Earlier, he handed the “Released on Licence” certificates to two of seven inmates whose applications for leave were approved.

Prisons Department director-general Datuk Seri Zulkifli Omar said the programme, introduced last month, would allow inmates to return home for family bonding, job searching, death in the family, to receive welfare, and for health and other acceptable reasons.

“Those who are qualified for the programme would have to achieve at least 80% of credit hours during rehabilitation class,” he added.

Boosting morale: Hishammuddin sharing a light moment with two inmates at the Kajang Prison during the 1Malaysia Inmate-Family Gathering in conjunction with the coming Chinese New Year festivities.

On another matter, Hishammuddin said the country was also set to ink an international prisoner exchange deal with Thailand soon.

“This will allow Malaysian prisoners there to serve the rest of their terms here, giving them more access to their families,” he said.

Currently, there are 82 Thai prisoners in Malaysia who are eligible for the programme while Thailand has 404 Malaysians in their prisons.

The agreement, the first for the country, will pave the way for similar deals with other countries in the region, such as South Korea, India, Saudi Arab, Turkey, Iran and Venezuela.

A total of 1,758 foreign prisoners from 31 countries will be eligible for the transfer programme.