EVERY Hari Raya, tins of homemade-style kuih disappear from shelves almost as fast as they are stocked, and prison-made treats have quietly built up quite the loyal following.
But posts circulating on TikTok have been casting doubt on that reputation, claiming that Hari Raya kuih made by prisoners are dirty because inmates rarely bathe.
Are prison-made Hari Raya kuih really as unhygienic as these viral posts suggest?
Verdict:
FALSE
Claims that Hari Raya kuih produced by prisoners are dirty because inmates do not maintain personal hygiene are false, according to a fact-check by MyCheck.my.
The claim originated from a TikTok post purportedly made by an internal prison staff member, alleging that prisoners rarely bathe and that this made their food products unclean.
Many netizens pushed back on the claim in the comments, with some sharing first-hand accounts of having visited prisons and personally witnessing the workshop where the kuih are produced, describing it as clean and well-monitored by wardens.
In Malaysia, prisoners are given the opportunity to participate in various rehabilitation programmes, including vocational training in food production, handicrafts and light industrial products, all run by the Prisons Department as part of efforts to prepare inmates for reintegration into society.
Prison-made products such as Hari Raya kuih are sold to the public under the My Pride brand, particularly in the lead-up to the festive season, and have proven enormously popular.
Citing a report in a Singapore newspaper, prison-made Hari Raya kuih recorded sales of RM1mil for two consecutive years in 2025 and 2026.
Deputy Commissioner of Prisons Hamid Taha, who serves as deputy director of the Correctional Division's Vocational and Industrial Section at the Malaysian Prisons Department headquarters, said sales at the My Pride Product Gallery had surpassed RM1mil as of March 10, matching the achievement of 2025.
He said the strong sales were driven by high public demand and the role of social media in introducing the products to a wider audience, not just locally but also from neighbouring countries including Singapore and Brunei.
Malaysian Prisons Department director-general Datuk Abdul Aziz Abdul Razak told MyCheck.my that the claim that prison-made Hari Raya kuih were dirty because inmates did not bathe was untrue and baseless.
"Prisoners will also undergo health screening and be given typhoid injections, and they will be monitored by prison wardens," he said.
Abdul Aziz said the food workshops inside each prison were well-maintained and kept in the best condition.
"Cleanliness in prisons is well-maintained, and the hygiene standards in the production of Hari Raya kuih or any other food products comply with the guidelines and standards set by the Health Ministry," he said.
He added that the prisons held the Industry Responsibility Safe Food Certification (MeSTI) issued by the Health Ministry.
"The public need not worry and can continue to purchase Hari Raya kuih or food products produced by prison inmates," he said.
Source:
3.https://www.tiktok.com/@mimimiqayla/photo/7615560952137682183?_r=1&_t=ZS-94eIBrmkyIP
