TAWAU: The public has been urged to adopt a more open-minded attitude towards former inmates undergoing rehabilitation and give them a second chance to rebuild their lives after serving their sentences.
Sabah Assistant Minister of Women, Health and People’s Wellbeing Datuk Rina Jainal said public acceptance was crucial to helping former inmates reintegrate into society when they returned to their hometowns and communities.
She said rehabilitation efforts could not succeed without public support, as former inmates needed employment opportunities, family support, social acceptance and the chance to prove they could change after completing their sentences.
“If we continue to judge them through society’s perceptions and stigma, we may be closing the door on the changes they are striving to make.
“Conversely, if we give them a fair opportunity, we can help them build more stable lives and reduce the risk of them returning to their past criminal activities,” she said.
Rina was speaking after officiating the Tawau Prison Corrective Outreach Programme, involving six participants, at the Tawau Prison Department Multipurpose Hall in Taman Ehsan here.
Also present was Tawau Prison Director PKK Hasrul Anwar Hasim.
Rina said the programme emphasised giving participants a second chance and helping them prepare for life outside prison.
“This preparation is important to ensure they do not feel out of place when they return to the community, particularly when facing changing circumstances and current needs that are evolving rapidly,” she said.
She said employers’ willingness to hire former inmates also played an important role in supporting rehabilitation by providing them with employment opportunities.
Government initiatives offering tax exemptions, alongside programmes that could generate positive outcomes for companies, could encourage greater private-sector participation, she added.
Rina said companies could contribute to society by providing employment opportunities for former inmates while strengthening their corporate image through their involvement in rehabilitation efforts.
She said the six participants, who remained under supervision and had secured employment through the programme, were part of the Community Rehabilitation Programme under the Madani Government initiative.
Rina said similar programmes had been implemented previously, but publicity efforts needed to be expanded to raise public awareness and improve understanding of how they operated.
