Hiring parolees gives them new lease of life

GEORGE TOWN: The hiring of parolees and those on the Ihsan Madani Prisoners’ Release on Licence (PBSL) is a way to give the group a chance to start life afresh.

The owner of a vehicle and building cleaning company, K Suraindran, said he has hired over 200 parolees and persons on PBSL since 2019.

Suraindran, 40, said he was working with prison authorities to give prisoners the opportunity to get training and jobs for a fresh start after their release.

“Besides overcoming the problem of shortage of labour, recruiting released prisoners is one of our efforts to help this group.

“In fact, I was a bit apprehensive about having former prisoners working in my company at first.

“I hired only two in 2019, but after that I took in more because they can do the work and follow instructions,” he told reporters here on Wednesday (Aug 30).

Suraindran received two more new hires on conditional release, part of a group of 16 from Penang Remand Prison selected to participate in the PBSL Ihsan Madani in conjunction with National Day.

Besides a monthly income based on the minimum wage, Suraindran said he will also provide his employees with accommodation, as well as food and drinks during working hours.

A former prisoner working with Suraindran, 40-year-old Oii, said he would make the most of this opportunity to stay away from crime.

He was previously jailed eight months for a drug offence.

“I am really touched by this opportunity because I was released four months early to work here and I think this is the best start for me to (become) a more useful person.

“Not only that, this job will also allow me to be independent and earn an income,” said Oii, who hails from Sungai Dua and used to work as a cook.

In KUANTAN, 32-year-old Nurul – also part of a group released from Bentong Prison under PBSL in conjunction with National Day – said she had palpitations when the warden called out her name on Tuesday (Aug 29).

She wondered at first if there had been complaints about her, or if she had done something wrong.

As it turned out, good news awaited.

Nurul, 32, who hails from Pekan, said it never crossed her mind that she would be released early because her two-year prison term for theft started in December and there was still “a lot of time left to serve”.

“I could only cry when I was given the good news. My first thought was of my mother, whom I have not hugged since being sent to prison.

“Every time she visited me, we could only talk on the phone. It’s not the same and a very really painful lesson learned.

“I am determined to turn over a new leaf and make a positive comeback. Hopefully, I will be given strength and time to spend with my mother.

“I can’t imagine how it would have been if anything had happened to my mother while I was in prison,” she said when met upon her release.

Another former prisoner now on PBSL, Lizan, 47, said he was determined to catch up on lost time with his family, especially his six children, after being imprisoned for drug offences in August last year.

“My youngest daughter was only nine months old when I was arrested. I can’t wait to see her especially her antics that I’ve been told about,” he said.

A total of 43 inmates including four women, aged between 23 and 56, were released on Wednesday.

They comprised 27 inmates from Penor Prison in Kuantan and 16 from Bentong Prison, out of a total of 585 released under the PBSL so far. – BK