Prison's School Of Integrity Gives Prisoners New Lease On Life

MELAKA (Malaysia), April 7 (Bernama) -- A product of the Integrity School at Kajang Prison, who wants to be known as Roy, considers the jail term he underwent since the age of 19, has taught him to start a new life in a positive light. "The sentence is not the end but rather the beginning of a new future specially for people like me, who have been involved in crime," said Roy, who proved to be an excellent student who obtained 7As in the 2016 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination (Malaysian Certificate Education). The second of four siblings from Kajang in Selangor state, aged 21, was admitted to the school in December 2015 for a murder offence. "Once put into prison at the age of 19 years, I felt life had no hope. I was full of regrets, there was nothing that could be done but to continue serving the sentence for a murder which was done unintentionally," said Roy who was involved in a fight with a stranger in 2015. "To all friends at the Integrity School or Henry Gurney School do your best. It's still not too late to change the future and cherish every opportunity in life in order to avoid any regrets later on," said the youth who aspires to become an engineer. Roy was met after the presentation of the 2016 SPM Excellence Awards of the Integrity School and Henry Gurney School by Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan here Friday. Amin, 20, a resident of the Henry Gurney School, Telok Mas who hails from Pahang, said the 7As he achieved in the SPM last year was a great achievement for him because in the past he did not have time to sit for the SPM. The third of five siblings, said his determination to learn and achieve excellent results was driven by the requests of his mother, who wanted to see him succeed and have a better future. "I was involved with drugs since the age of 15 years, beginning with marijuana due to an influence of a friend before becoming a distributor and was arrested at the age of 17," said Amin who aspires to be a teacher. -- BERNAMA