Handy habit: An inmate working on some rattan furniture at the Batu Gajah PPA in Perak. — Bernama
BATU GAJAH: To make ends meet and provide for her five younger siblings, Fifi (not her real name), 33, resorted to becoming a drug pusher at the tender age of 14, as her parents frequently found themselves in prison for drug-related offences.
“Growing up with my parents involved in drugs, I learned a thing or two about substances that could bring in cash.
“When I found myself at a loss as to how to support my younger siblings, I turned to my parents’ customers and supplied drugs to them,” she said when met at the Batu Gajah Moral Rehabilitation Centre (PPA) recently.
Earning between RM500 and RM5,000 a month left Fifi blinded by greed.
The ill-gotten gains brought no joy as she was eventually apprehended and sentenced to serve time at the Batu Gajah PPA, Bernama reported.
Prior to that, Fifi had served multiple prison sentences for methamphetamine abuse.
It was a different story for 38-year-old inmate Apit (not his real name), who was sent to the centre due to his repeated drug abuse.
Apit’s involvement with drugs had also ruined his marriage.
“Being back in the rehabilitation centre for the third time, I deeply regret missing out on seeing my only child, who is now 17, grow up,” he said.
However, Apit expressed gratitude that his time behind bars had led to repentance, enabling him to memorise three verses of the Quran.
For Bulat (not his real name), 33, his involvement in drug trafficking after losing his job due to the Covid-19 pandemic marked a dark chapter in his life when he was arrested and sentenced in 2022.
“I lost my job at a factory in Perlis due to the implementation of the movement control order. Yet, I still had to pay rent and provide for my younger siblings in my hometown,” said the man, who earned nearly RM3,000 as a pusher.
Despite their prior offences, the three remain committed to starting fresh and breaking free from their past.
Once released, they are determined to use the skills they acquired through the National Dual Training System (SDLN) at the Batu Gajah PPA to make a living.
With Fifi taking up pastry-making, Apit mastering sewing and Bulat opting for carpentry, their commitment to the programme for six months to a year has sharpened their skills in fields previously unfamiliar to them.
Batu Gajah PPA director Asst Comm S. Tanabal said in addition to those skills training workshops, inmates are offered courses in rattan carpentry.
“This programme aims to equip prisoners with skills so that upon their release, they can utilise them to generate income,” he said.Tanabal said female inmates were provided with hands-on training in beauty spa management at My Pride Spa, located outside the prison premises, which offers a range of beauty services and facial treatments.
The Batu Gajah PPA currently houses 499 inmates, consisting of detainees under the Dangerous Drugs Act (Special Preventive Measures 1985), with a detention period of up to two years.
Formerly known as the Henry Gurney Women’s School, the Batu Gajah PPA is the only moral rehabilitation centre that also houses female prisoners, currently accommodating such 41 inmates.
The products made by the inmates are available for purchase by the public at the Industrial Vocational Sales Gallery at the centre.
For enquiries regarding the products, members of the public can contact 05-363 2255.
