Abdullah (seated centre) and Basir with other officers from the Education Department and Prison Department during the press conference yesterday.
KOTA KINABALU: The Prison Department has been urged to work together with the Ministry of Education’s Islamic Education Division to source for funds to organize educational and religious programmes for inmates.
Division director Abdullah Md Din made the call after launching the Hijrah Kasih 3 program at the Central Prison in Kepayan here yesterday.
“This is the third series of Hijrah Kasih after the success of both the first and second series of Hijrah Kasih, which were organized at Henry Gurney School in Telok Mas Melaka on October 17-18, 2011 and Sungai Petani Integrity School in Kedah from September 27 to 29, 2013.
“Hijrah Kasih is one of the educational programmes organized by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Prison Department to give opportunity to young Muslim inmates to learn more about religion and to boost their confidence.
“We believe young inmates still have huge opportunity to be successful when they are out from the prison. Since they are allowed to sit for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), there will always be a chance for them to pursue their studies at higher levels,” he said.
According to Abdullah, the ministry is looking for more funds to continue the programme, and if possible to be organized in all 11 prisons in Malaysia at least twice yearly.
“To date, Hijrah Kasih programmes were only organized annually but we rotate the location. If we have more budget, we can do it in every prison,” he added.
Meanwhile, State Prison Director Abdul Basir Mohammad in his welcoming speech said the prison had been working closely with the Ministry of Education to improve the achievement of inmates.
He added that religious teaching is one of the most important subjects that need to be given to them, so that they will have more knowledge about doing good things in life.
“I always advise the inmates here to think forward and never to lose hope in making their parents and family proud.
“Their past mistakes can be the greatest lesson for them to be a better person in the future, so I think it is important for our department and the Education Department to organize more programmes like Hijrah Kasih,” said Abdul Basir.
A total of 80 inmates participated in the programme which was held from September 26 to 28.