Foreign countries learning from Malaysia's prisoner programme

Prisons Department director-general Datuk Seri Zulkifli Omar said each month, the department received foreign visitors who wanted to study its best practices to be implemented in their own countries, besides sending their officers here to attend training and courses on prison management.

"The latest, a report by the evaluation team of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) under the UN Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) secretariat has praised the parole system in Malaysia," he said at the passing-out parade of participants of the Prisons Basic Management Certificate course 1/2013 at the Prison Officers Training Centre, here, Thursday.

He said UNTAC felt that Malaysia's parole programme was effective while also praising its ability to provide new parole officers as well as efforts to reintegrate convicts in society, which was described as positive.

He noted that the profession as a prison officer was increasingly challenging and required a high level of sacrifice as they were facing various possibilities.

"We have learned lessons from the fire outbreak at the Medan prison in Indonesia in which some prisoners took the opportunity to escape, as well as from some unexpected incidents occurring at the prisons in some other foreign countries."

Zulkifli said in a situation where society had become more aware and knowledgeable about human and legal rights, the prison officers and staff needed to be more careful in managing prisoners and detainees by not contravening the set procedures and regulations.

At the passing-out parade, he also presented the Prisons Director-General Trophy to the overall best trainee, Saiful Amirin Ibrahim, and Prisons Deputy Director-General Trophy to the best trainee in academic, Muhammad Syafiq Ramli.

Md Saiful Nizam Shafie was awarded as the best trainee in shooting and Mohd Hamsyari Iwan Karisnawen, as the best trainee in outdoor training.