Prisons Dept rakes in RM36 million in sales

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Alzafry (fourth left) and others declare open the exhibition.

MIRI: The MyPride products of Malaysian Prisons Department recorded sales of RM36 million last year, proof of the people’s acceptance of the products due to their top quality and marketability.

The department’s deputy director-general (Safety and Correctional) Datuk Alzafry Mohamed Alnassif Mohamed Adahan said the MyPride products are their pride and joy.

“The quality and innovative products made by prison inmates is a manifestation of their self-development, achievement and skills.

“It is a way to highlight their skills and market their products.

It also shows that they (inmates) are capable of producing quality and innovative products,” he said when officiating at the opening of a three-day Borneo Prisons Infokraf exhibition at Imperial Mall here yesterday.

Alzafry said there are about 62,000 inmates throughout Malaysia, and the Prisons Department always prioritises their rehabilitation and redevelopment as a key agenda in reducing crime in the country.

Alzafry (second left) looks at a handicraft item made by inmates when officiating at the opening of the exhibition.

He said various measures had been developed and structured to ensure the rehabilitation process is truly effective.

“Out of the 62,000 inmates in the country, 2,854 of them have undergone training programmes, and gone on to obtain skilled certificates,” he said.

He added that this year, the Home Ministry had set a target to get at least 300 inmates to undergo certified skills at the intermediate level – services and tourism, agriculture and farming, development and construction, and transportation.

“These areas are important to meet the needs of skilled workers in line with the roles of Technical Education and Vocational Training (TVET),” Alzafry added.

On another note, Alzafry said he wanted to see the decrease in number of inmates in Sarawak which now stands at 2,400.

Last year, the number was 1,200 inmates, which means a 100 per cent increase.

“One of the main reasons that contribute to the increase in number of inmates is drugs.

Most of the 2,400 inmates are those with drug-related offences,” he added.

Meanwhile, on the Borneo Prisons Infokraf, the Miri Central Prison, which organised the exhibition this year targets to achieve sales of RM85,000 through various types of crafts and furniture.

Brunei Prisons director Ismail Murat, Prisons Management deputy director Datuk Mohd Sakeri Dolla, director of Sarawak Prison Ajidin Salleh and director of Sabah Prisons Suria Idris were among those atthe function yesterday.