Kaamatan with a difference for 200
Kota Kinabalu: There was no Unduk Ngadau beauty pageant nor were there alcoholic beverages served but the spirit of Kaamatan was not lost on the 200 prisoners handpicked to partake in the festivity at the Central Prison in Kepayan, here, Tuesday.
The festival held for the first time in the nation was endorsed and sponsored by the Malaysian Prison Department which provided RM2,000 for the purpose. It aimed at retaining the sense of pride towards one's own culture and to strengthen relationship between one another.
Selected from 2,056 inmates, they took part in various activities such as sugandoi (singing) competition and football tournament.
Due to good response, it would be an annual activity in the prison from now.
Sabah Prisons Director Abdul Halim Ma-Hassan reminded them to be prepared for life outside the prison walls and start anew once they are out.
"I hope the inmates will take advantage of all the programmes while they are here, be they physical training, academics, spiritual or moral courses so that when they get out of here, they will be able to use the skills they have learned to gain employment for their own good, their families, society and the nation," he said.
Halim also said through programmes like these, inmates would have channels to showcase their talents and abilities, for example in sports events and the singing competitions.
"This is more towards the emotional aspect of the individuals.
We want them to have more self-confidence and have less stress.
We also want them to be able to conduct themselves in a more positive way so it would be easier for them to learn the value of obedience to rules and regulations here."
"Other than that, we also want them to focus their energies towards healthy activities so their minds won't wander," Abdul Halim said, after officiating a 'Jalinan Kasih' programme in conjunction with the Kaamatan.
Halim he planned to create five or six cultural groups focusing on performing arts activities that would represent various ethnics in Sabah.
"These groups can help the members to better themselves especially with their self-esteem. The desire to be selected into these groups would hopefully encourage inmates to work harder and to show better progress in their rehabilitation programs. This is ultimately for their own good," he said.
One of the rehabilitation programmes is marching. Since all inmates are required to march everyday, there is a big problem in terms of providing marching boots for the inmates and it takes quite a big chunk of the prison budget every month.
Halim hopes that Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) and other NGOs could assist the prison department to alleviate this problem.
Meanwhile, MCPF representative Datuk Francis Yap said it is unfortunate that former inmates always found themselves difficult to gain employment due to their past. This led some of them to revert to crime.
"MCPF will organise talks, forums or exhibition to change people's mentality regarding the stereotyping of former inmates and to encourage organisations to give them proper jobs so they can rebuild their lives," he said.
Source : Daily Express
