PETALING JAYA: Hundreds of thousands of Malaysians came to know Mohamad Al Bukhari Ellia as the man who inspired many through his extraordinary journey to Mecca, completed largely on foot.
What most did not know was that as a teenager, he was a juvenile offender – a chapter of his life he has kept hidden for almost a decade.
Now, for the first time, the 27-year-old entrepreneur and social media content creator, who has more than 716,000 followers, is sharing that story in the hope of showing young people who have gone astray that they, too, deserve a second chance.
At 15, Mohamad Al Bukhari was sent to the Telok Mas Sekolah Henry Gurney (SHG) in Melaka after being found guilty of offences he prefers not to disclose.
Reflecting on the nearly four years he spent at the juvenile rehabilitation institution, he said life there was nothing like he had imagined.
After seven days in quarantine and a six-month character-building programme, he settled into a structured routine centred on education, discipline and religious activities.
“We woke up at 6am and by 7am, we were already attending academic classes or vocational training. We also learned responsibility, respect for others and the importance of rules and the law,” he said.
Although he was initially ordered to remain at the institution until he turned 21, Mohamad Al Bukhari was released earlier due to good behaviour. But the greatest challenge for him came after he walked out of the institution.
“Inside, the Prisons Department officers guided us, but once outside, we were on our own.
“Without that support, it is easy to be drawn back into old habits, especially when facing financial difficulties or other pressures,” he said.
Determined to rebuild his life, Mohamad Al Bukhari pursued engineering studies before obtaining a Diploma in Quranic Exegesis and Qiraat.
Today, he runs his own cosmetics business.
While acknowledging that former offenders continue to face social stigma, Mohamad Al Bukhari believes Malaysians are becoming more accepting of those who genuinely strive to change.
“For a long time, I did not have the strength to reveal my past. But a teacher who became a mentor encouraged me to inspire others, saying that if my story could help young people who have lost their way, then I should show them how I rebuilt my life and prove that change is possible,” he said.
In late 2024, Mohamad Al Bukhari and his friend, Mohamad Azizul Abdullah, embarked on a journey to perform the haj, completing most of the trip on foot.
From their hometown of Kampung Changkat Lobak in Perak, the pair walked to Thailand, flew to India and continued the rest of the journey on foot.
The 113-day expedition covered approximately 8,000km.
Former Telok Mas SHG Education Unit head and teacher Othman Markom (pic) said witnessing such transformations has been among the most rewarding aspects of his 18 years of service.
“Many of the residents were school dropouts. Some could not read, while others had lost basic learning skills due to drug abuse.
“Our challenge was to help rebuild them,” he said.
For Othman, 62, success is not measured solely by academic achievement, but by the restoration of hope within families who once feared they had lost their children forever.
“I remember one mother who was battling cancer and was overwhelmed by the stress of seeing her son sent to the rehabilitation school,” he recalled.
“Many years later, she returned and told me she had recovered.
“More importantly, her son had turned his life around, passed his SPM, gone on to university and eventually secured a job.
“Moments like that make everything worthwhile,” he said.
