KOTA KINABALU: The State Prisons Department is working towards becoming a world-class correctional institution.
Basir pinning a medal on one of the recipients at the 224th Prison Day ceremony yesterday.
“The Prisons Department is undergoing transformation to achieve its mission of becoming a world class correctional institution by 2020,” said Sabah Prisons director TKPj Ab Basir Mohamad here yesterday.
Speaking to reporters after delivering the 224th Prison Day ceremony at Kota Kinabalu Prison Complex in Kepayan, he said that currently there were 6,660 inmates serving their sentences at the prisons in Sabah.
Out of the total figure, 45 per cent are Malaysians followed by foreigners (55%). The number of foreigners are 72 per cent Filipinos, followed by Indonesian (27%) and other nationalities such as Nigerians or Chinese nationals (1%).
Awang Basir revealed that there are 224 juvenile offenders in the prisons.
Some of these delinquents are undergoing the second-chance program, and 10 who are studying at the prison’s Integrity School, are sitting for their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) this year.
“Another eight from Henry Gurney School for female juvenile delinquents will also be sitting for SPM this year, making it a total of 18 inmates,” said Awang Basir, adding that four of the prison inmates were currently undergoing their studies at Open University Malaysia.
On another development, Awang Basir said a new prison complex costing RM176 million with a capacity of 1,000 inmates would be built in Lahad Datu.
He said the project would commence after the Finance Ministry had finalized some of the finer details of the project in November or December, this year.
Earlier, Malaysian Prisons director-general Dato’ Sri Zulkifli Omar in his keynote address in conjunction with the ceremony, reminded prison officials and personnel of their responsibility to protect the community by providing prisoners with an effective rehabilitation program that complied with the country’s laws and regulations.
“On our shoulders lie the responsibility to make sure that those who have done wrong in the past are developed and transformed into people who will contribute to the development of the country,” he said.
“The acceptance and trust of the public will give inmates a second chance and the confidence to turn a new leaf,” said Zulkifli.
Since 2008, 18,000 have undergone reformation programs such as the Parole System outside of prisons, added Zulkifli.
A total of 14,500 Prisons Department officials and personnel celebrated the anniversary yesterday.
The Prisons Department presented medals and certificates of appreciation to 239 recipients in Sabah during the ceremony here.
Thirty-one received the Pingat Perkhidmatan Setia, 132 received the Pingat Perkhidmatan Am, two Pingat Setia Penjara, three Pingat Cemerlang Penjara, 12 Pingat Pekerti Penjara, 18 Pingat Bakti Penjara, and six red ribbon and 10 green ribbon, received the Sijil Kepujian Tertinggi.
Meanwhile, 30 correctional cadets from SMK Bahang, SMK Datuk Peter Mojuntin and SMK Stella Maris were promoted to sergeants and corporals at the ceremony.