Returning to a Changed World

[jahanara]

An article published in a Malaysian daily, The Star :-



A pardoned prisoner tells how he was unprepared for the changes in his hometown after being behind bars for 20 years. YIP YOKE TENG reports.

KAMAL (not his real name) was so overwhelmed by the changes in his hometown of Kajang that he had to take two painkillers and lie down for a nap. He never left Kajang, but the prison walls kept him isolated from the changes taking place.

The 48-year-old had spent the last 20 years serving his natural life imprisonment at Kajang prison. He had not expected to see the outside world again, but the Selangor Sultan’s pardon in 2000 gave him a new lease of life.

“I used to walk through the jungle to go fishing along Sungai Jelok. The trees are no longer there, all replaced by buildings. I could not imagine in my wildest dreams that this was where I used to live,” said Kamal, who has adjusted to the new environment with his family’s unconditional support.

The tanned, grey-haired man who spoke fluent English was a 23-year-old brainy civil servant with a bright future ahead when he was arrested in 1980. According to Kamal, the weapon registered under his name was misused for criminal activities, and he was charged under Section 4 of the Firearms Act (Increased Penalty) 1971 that carried the mandatory death sentence.

Kamal then pleaded guilty to a reduced charge under Section 3(A), and was sentenced to natural life imprisonment.

“When I first stepped into prison, it was in Pudu. There were some 5,000 prisoners, and everyone was shouting and cursing at me because I was a former civil servant. I had nowhere to hide my face.

“The prison authorities had to segregate me from the rest, and I was in the section with VIPs and also the notorious Botak Chin. I never thought I would be under the same roof with them,” he recalled when met at Kajang Prison where he was visiting his old warder friends recently.

Kamal remembered how his first meal in prison plunged him into hopeless despair.

“My first meal was mashed green pea with rice. I cried when I looked at it. How could a human being eat such a thing?

“I kept asking myself why I was there. Why was God punishing me? I had to spend my whole life inside. There was no more hope, only regret.”

Four months later, he requested a transfer back to general prison because he did not want to become the oldest inmate in the “VIP division”.

A communal riot broke out the following year; he managed to help suppress the fight and seize weapons from the prisoners. Since then, he became the middleman between warders and inmates, and was often appointed the leader in various activities.

One of his most memorable experiences was to help draw the famous Pudu Prison mural.

In prison, Kamal took up religious studies which changed his perceptions. He considered his ability to read the Quran his most important achievement in life.

Little did he know then that his religious knowledge would stand him in good stead after his release.

Although Kamal behaved well, he could not escape from his punishment of six strokes of the rotan.

“The first stroke numbed my bottom. From the second stroke onwards, I felt like I was being hit by a truck! The scars are still there after all these years,” he lamented.

Kamal saw the first ray of hope when officers from the Security Unit of the Prisons Department suggested that he submit a petition for pardon on the grounds that his father was old and frail. He knew his chances were slim, but was truly grateful to the officers who were trying to help him.

“I listened in disbelief when the two officers came and told me that I would be released the next day. I insisted on looking at the document. When the prison director came in with the paper, I was speechless. I could not describe how happy I was.”

The next day, his family members – over 20 of them including his nieces – came in several vans to celebrate his release and escort him home.

“We were hugging and crying. I never thought I could hold their hands again,” he said.

After he had settled down in Kajang, he began looking for his former girlfriend who had promised to wait for him.

“We had wanted to tie the knot, and she was prepared to convert to Islam for me. When I was jailed, she sought me out but I refused to see her. She insisted that a miracle would happen, but I knew I would no longer have the chance to be with her,” he reminisced.

However, Kamal could not trace his ex-girlfriend and had to accept the fact that she was lost to him.

He married someone else in 2002.

Kamal carried on with his life, sat for a driving test and later helped his friend ferry schoolchildren. His neighbours like him because he is a polite and devout Muslim.

He has since secured a contractor’s licence, and is now running his own company. Business has been regular, and he attributes his success to the leadership skills he learned in prison.

He advised the young to think before they act. “You may just be looking for a split second of excitement, but you may have to pay the price for decades, or even for the rest of your life.

“Being in prison is more dreadful than you can ever imagine. I have experienced it, and I’m so grateful that I lived through it. Imagine locking yourself in a room without television or phone, and you will feel like hanging yourself in several months.”

However, Kamal sincerely thanked the prison officers for their dedication. “They are risking their lives to bring us bad guys back on track, yet they are never recognised.”

Seeking a pardon

ACCORDING to the deputy superintendent at the Prisons Department’s Security Unit, Mohd Sabri Ismail, the Prisons Regulations stipulate procedures for petition.


A prisoner sentenced to six years' jail and above shall be assessed on his behaviour on the 4th, 8th, 12th and 16th year of his prison term, and every subsequent year thereafter.

The report prepared by the officer- in-charge shall be submitted to the director-general and then forwarded to the state pardons board.

A prisoner may petition the King as soon as practicable after his conviction. The second petition is allowed only three years from the date of conviction, and on a two-year interval thereafter unless there are special circumstances.

He can also petition if his health is poor and may cause his death.

However, condemned prisoners can freely petition the King. Related Stories:
Emphasis on helping them get back on their feet
Social neglect to blame for the rot
The hand that wields the cane
Optimising space a priority at Kajang Prison
Convicts ready for a fresh start
Underpaid, overworked wardens a stressed out lot
Prison staff shouldering a parent’s burden
Hope for wayward youngsters
Grim task of carrying out executions
Torturous 24 hours before death
Aiming for more rehab and crime prevention projects