JOHOR BARU: The Home Ministry is in the final stages of amending the Minor Offences Act 1955 to broaden the definition of minor offences beyond crimes punishable by four years' imprisonment or less.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the proposed amendment would allow minor offences carrying jail terms of up to 10 years to be classified under the category.
He said the move is aimed at reducing overcrowding in prisons, where the inmate population has exceeded 87,000 against the original capacity of 75,000, exposing inmates to risks such as disease outbreaks, fights and poor living conditions.
Furthermore, he said the amendment would also expand the existing inmate employment programme run by the Prisons Department, which currently only involves prisoners serving sentences of less than four years.
"If the eligibility threshold is increased to offences carrying sentences of up to 10 years, the pool of eligible inmates will be much larger. However, this will not be implemented arbitrarily as every case will undergo a proper screening process," he told a press conference after the 'Engaging Industry, Shaping Solutions' dialogue with 80 industry players from various sectors at FOZ One here today.
Saifuddin said that the hiring of prison inmates as workers is carried out through detailed assessments by prison authorities, including evaluations of their behaviour, disciplinary record and whether they are first-time offenders.
"We assess their attitude, level of cooperation during imprisonment, and whether they have maintained good discipline," he said.
The minister said the initiative has so far involved more than 900 employers from various sectors, including services and plantations facing labour shortages.
He added that the initiative not only helps industries fill workforce gaps but also allows inmates to reintegrate into society while earning an income.
"We have received encouraging feedback from employers, while the recidivism rate among former inmates involved in the programme remains very low," he said.
Under the employment initiative, he said inmates are housed in secured accommodation provided either by employers or at facilities rented by the ministry at National Service Training Centres.
"They stay at these facilities where monitoring can be carried out effectively. They go to work during the day and return to the accommodation in the evening instead of remaining in prison," he added. - NST
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