KOTA BARU: The Prisons Department has denied claims by singer-composer Yasin Sulaiman that life in prison depends on money and influence.
Senior director of prison policy Mohamad Rosidek Musa said the claim was untrue, as the department had standard operating procedures (SOP) to address misconduct and negative incidents among inmates.
“In the prison system, we focus on rehabilitation programmes and address negative occurrences.
“We admit certain incidents may happen, but not to the extent alleged. Many released from prison succeed in building new lives, so why focus on the negative aspects?” he told reporters after the closing ceremony of the Prisons Department Bookathon Programme 2026 at Pengkalan Chepa Prison here yesterday.
Yasin claimed during an episode of the AididitMyWay podcast that a hierarchy existed among inmates, including groups referred to as “bos” and “taiko”, while also alleging that drugs could be smuggled into prison if an individual possessed money and influence.
Mohamad Rosidek said any misconduct was dealt with according to established rules and procedures, adding that the SOP was continuously being improved, Bernama reported.
“We will address every infraction and take action according to set rules and procedures. Each year, we tighten our SOP and review it step by step,” he said.
He said conditions at Pengkalan Chepa Prison remained under control, although overcrowding was still an issue the department was addressing.
“Conditions at Pengkalan Chepa Prison are under control because we have satellite prisons and inmate reintegration programmes that allow prisoners to work outside. We are working to overcome overcrowding to ensure proper inmate management,” he said.
