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Malaysian Prison Department

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Malaysian Prison Department
Jabatan Penjara Malaysia
جابتن ڤنجارا مليسيا‎
Logo of the Malaysian Prison Department
Logo of the Malaysian Prison Department
MottoMesra, Ikhlas dan Berbakti
(Friendly, Sincere and Dedicated)
Agency overview
Formed19 March 1790; 234 years ago (1790-03-19)
Jurisdictional structure
National agency
(Operations jurisdiction)		Malaysia
Operations jurisdictionMalaysia
Size329,847 km (127,355 sq mi)
Population27,544,000
Legal jurisdictionNational
Governing bodyGovernment of Malaysia
Operational structure
HeadquartersKajang, Selangor, Malaysia
Elected officer responsible
Agency executives
  • KJP Dato' Nordin Muhamad, Commissioner General of Prison
  • TKJP Dato' Abdul Aziz bin Abdul Razak, Deputy Commissioner General of Prison (Security & Correctional)
  • TKJP Abdul Kadir bin Rais, Deputy Commissioner General of Prison (Management)
  • TKJP Dato' Ibrisam Bin Abdul Rahman, Deputy Commissioner General of Prison (Community)
Parent agencyMinistry of Home Affairs
UnitsTrup Tindakan Cepat
Website
www.prison.gov.my

The Malaysian Prison Department (Malay: Jabatan Penjara Malaysia; Jawi: جابتن ڤنجارا مليسيا‎), is a department controlled by the Malaysian Minister of Home Affairs responsible for prisons where offenders sentenced by the courts are held. These jails also act as detention and recovery institutions.

The department is headquartered in the Malaysia Prison Complex (Kompleks Penjara Kajang) in Kajang, Selangor in the Klang Valley.[1][2]

History

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During the era of British rule and until the arrival of the Japanese in 1942, penal institutions were the responsibility of the individual states' governments with their respective regulations. In the Straits Settlements, a Superintendent based in Singapore, acted as the supervisor and inspected the institutions under his jurisdiction.

The Straits Settlements were the earliest to build their own prisons while the Federated Malay States did so only after the British set up a responsible department. The Taiping Prison, better known as the Taiping Gaol, the largest at the time, was built in 1879. Prisons were built with the main purpose of bringing suffering to the inmates in the hope that this would deter people from committing crimes.

In 1881, Sikh warders were brought in to assist Malay warders while vocational instructors from Hong Kong were used in an effort to introduce trades to the prisons. Among the earliest of these were rock breaking and carpentry. An attempt was made to categorise the inmates in 1882, then in 1889 European warders were appointed at some prisons.

With the formation of the Federated Malay States, Taiping Prison became a detention centre for long-term prisoners from Perak, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan and Selangor. In 1923, a visiting justice system[clarification needed] was introduced and prison industries expanded to include printing work, weaving, sewing, rattan weaving, and metalwork. Rock-breaking work was abolished in 1924 and replaced with the pounding of coconut husks.

During the Japanese occupation (1941–1945), the Imperial Japanese Army also used the prisons for POWs. All records of the prisons and its inmates for this period were subsequently destroyed by the Japanese.

After World War II, the Prison Office was established to administer all prisons in Malaya. The post-war era saw the return of peace, and modern administrative methods were introduced. The 1948 Malayan Emergency resulted in an increase in inmate numbers, which in turn caused overcrowding in the prisons. This disrupted the development of the prison system and it was only towards the end of 1949 when peace returned that prison development could be carried out smoothly.

The Prisons Ordinance 1952 and the Prisons Regulations 1953, based on the "modern treatment" concept, were introduced to replace old legislation. In 1953, the Criminal Justice Bill was passed, which abolished use of the cat-o'-nine-tails and replaced the term "penal servitude" with "prison".

Following Independence Day in 1957, the first Prisons Commissioner was appointed to take charge of the administration of all prisons in Malaya. In 1963, with the formation of Malaysia, prisons in Sabah and Sarawak came under the jurisdiction of the Prisons Department.

On 2 November 1995, the Prison Act 1995 was introduced to replace the former Prison Act which in turn was superseded on 1 September 2000 by the Prison Regulations 2000. The previous acts and regulations had been in use for a long time, thus changes and reforms were necessary to meet current needs and demands to streamline prison management and administration.

In an era of development and modernisation, the Malaysian Prison Department realises that it should not to be content with its past achievements, but should instead move forward and innovate in order to assist the prison administration in dealing with modern culture through criminology, penology and overall social control.[3]

Insignia

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  1. The fourteen-point star represents the 13 States and the Federal Government of Malaysia, while the star and the crescent symbolise Islam, the official religion of Malaysia.
  2. The crossed keys symbolise the authority and responsibility delegated by the department in the performance of its duties.
  3. The paddy flower symbolises solidarity and close co-operation by multiracial staff at various levels in the hierarchy.
  4. The green background, the official colour of the Prisons Department, signifies allegiance to the Malaysian leader.

Motto

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Source:[4]

Cheerful, Sincere and Dedicated
Shall faithfully carry out departmental duties to uphold the national criminal legal system and shoulder the task of rehabilitation of offenders entrusted upon the department by the nation with full responsibility and dedication.
Green colour
Symbolises the objective of the department to reform citizens who have lapsed into moral decay and turn them into productive individuals who are once again able to fit into society as useful citizens able to fulfill their social obligations.
Sketch Heart and Hand
Symbolises the commitment by society to re-accommodate ex-convicts into social institutions without any kind of prejudice which may jeopardise their rehabilitation programme.
Silver background

Symbolises the sincerity of the departments management system in generating commitment and co-operation among society at large, offender families and the department to ensure the success of rehabilitation programmes.

Prison department organisational structure

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Prison heads

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Appointment Rank Abbreviation Name
Commissioner General of Prison Commissioner General of Prison KJP Y'Bhg Dato Hj Nordin Bin Mohamad
Deputy Commissioner General of Prison Deputy Commissioner General of Prison (1) TKJP Y'Bhg Dato' Haji Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul Razak
Deputy Commissioner General of Prison Deputy Commissioner General of Prison (2) TKJP Abdul Kadir Bin Hj Rais
Deputy Commissioner General of Prison Deputy Commissioner General of Prison (3) TKJP Y'Bhg Dato Ibrisham Abd Rahman
Director of Perlis Prison Senior Assistant Commissioner of Prison PKK Mat Johir bin Asin @ Hashim
Director of Kedah Prison Senior Deputy Commissioner General of Prison TKP Sabri Yaakob
Director of Penang Prison Senior Deputy Commissioner General of Prison TKP Roslan Mohamad
Director of Perak Prison Senior Deputy Commissioner General of Prison TKP Tan Tian Heng
Director of Kelantan Prison Senior Deputy Commissioner General of Prison TKP Hamzani bin Che Ibrahim
Director of Terengganu Prison Senior Deputy Commissioner General of Prison TKP Ahmad Saidi Hamzah
Director of Pahang Prison Commissioner of Prison KP Dato' Ab Basir bin Mohamad
Director of Kuala Lumpur Prison Commissioner of Prison KP Y'Bhg Dato Sakeri Bin Dollah
Director of Selangor Prison Commissioner of Prison KP Y'Bhg Dato Sakeri Bin Dollah
Director of Negeri Sembilan Prison Senior Assistant Commissioner of Prison PKK PKK Abd Rahman bin Taib
Director of Malacca Prison Commissioner of Prison TKP Ku Nawawi
Director of Johore Prison Commissioner of Prison KP Abd. Wahab Kassim
Director of Sabah Prison Commissioner of Prison TKP Hajah Nora Binti Musa
Director of Sarawak Prison Senior Deputy Commissioner General of Prison TKP Rosidek Bin Musa

List of leaders

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Commissioners general

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# Commissioner General In office Left office Time in office
1. Captain Es Lilley 1 April 1946 (1946-04-01) 11 September 1949 (1949-09-11) 3 years, 163 days
2. Captain Ov Garrat 11 September 1949 (1949-09-11) 1 October 1956 (1956-10-01) 7 years, 20 days
3. Ft. Lt. WB Oliver 1 October 1956 (1956-10-01) 2 October 1957 (1957-10-02) 1 year, 1 day
4. Tan Sri Murad Ahmad 3 October 1957 (1957-10-03) 24 July 1977 (1977-07-24) 19 years, 294 days
5. Dato' Ibrahim Hj. Mohamed 25 July 1977 (1977-07-25) 30 April 1988 (1988-04-30) 10 years, 280 days
6. Dato' Nik Ariffin Nik Omar 1 May 1988 (1988-05-01) 7 November 1989 (1989-11-07) 1 year, 190 days
7. Dato' Mohd. Yassin Jaafar 1 March 1990 (1990-03-01) 7 February 1995 (1995-02-07) 4 years, 343 days
8. Dato' Mohd Zaman Khan 9 February 1995 (1995-02-09) 31 December 1997 (1997-12-31) 2 years, 325 days
9. Dato' Omar Mohamed Dan 1 January 1998 (1998-01-01) 16 October 2001 (2001-10-16) 3 years, 288 days
10. Datuk Mustafa Osman 17 October 2001 (2001-10-17) 1 June 2009 (2009-06-01) 7 years, 227 days
11. Dato' Sri Zulkifli Omar 1 June 2009 (2009-06-01) 1 January 2021 (2021-01-01) 11 years, 214 days
12. Dato' Nordin Muhamad 11 March 2021 (2021-03-11) Incumbent 3 years, 249 days

Deputy commissioners general

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Deputy Commissioner General Year
Dato Ibrahim Mohamed
Dato Nik Arifin Nik Omar
Mohd Nadzry Kushairi 1990–1993
Datuk Omar Mohamad Dan 1994–1997
Datuk Mustafa Osman 1998–2001
Donald Wee May Keun 2004–2005
Samsuddin Tan Sri Murad 2006
Dato' Seri Zulkifli Omar 2006–2008
Dato' Wan Mohamad Nazarie Wan Mahmood 2007–2012
Datuk Hassan Sakimon 2009–2017
Dato' Wan Abdul Rahman Wan Abdullah 2012–2017
Dato' Alzafry Mohamad Alnassif Mohamad Adahan 2017 – 2020
Dato' Jamaluddin Saad 2017 – 2020
Dato' Haji Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul Razak 2017 – current
Abd Kadir Hj Rais 2020-current

Institutions

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Headquarters

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Malaysian Prison Headquarters building
  • Malaysian Prison Headquarters, Kajang
  • Sarawak Prison Headquarters, Kuching
  • Sabah Prison Headquarters, Kota Kinabalu

Prison

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Kedah

  • Pokok Sena Prison
  • Sungai Petani Prison
  • Alor Star Prison

Penang

  • Penang Prison
  • Seberang Prai Prison

Perak

Selangor

Negeri Sembilan

  • Jelebu Prison
  • Seremban Prison

Melaka

  • Ayer Keroh Prison
  • Sg. Udang Prison
  • Banda Hilir Prison

Johor

  • Simpang Renggam Prison
  • Kluang Prison

Pahang

  • Bentong Prison
  • Penor Prison

Terengganu

  • Marang Prison

Kelantan

  • Pengkalan Chepa Prison

Sarawak

  • Puncak Borneo Prison
  • Sibu Prison
  • Miri Prison
  • Bintulu Prison
  • Sri Aman Prison
  • Limbang Prison

Sabah

  • Kota Kinabalu Prison
  • Kota Kinabalu Women's Prison
  • Tawau Prison
  • Sandakan Prison

Correctional Centre

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  • Perlis Correctional Centre
  • Puncak Alam Correctional Centre
  • Labuan Correctional Centre

Juvenile School

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Main article: Henry Gurney Prisoners School
  • Henry Gurney School, Telok Mas, Malacca (boys & girls)
  • Henry Gurney School, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (all-girls)
  • Henry Gurney School, Keningau, Sabah (all-boys)
  • Henry Gurney School, Puncak Borneo, Kuching, Sarawak (all-boys)
  • Henry Gurney School, Batu Gajah, Perak

Defunct Prison and Headquarters

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Weaponry and equipment

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Malaysian Prison Department operators are equipped with multi-specialized weaponry and marine assault vehicles, including:

Model Image Variants Calibre Origin Notes References
Pistols
Glock Glock 17 9x19mm Parabellum  Austria In used by prison senior officers as well as Trup Tindakan Cepat (TTC) special team.
Smith & Wesson Model 15 .38 Special  USA The S&W .38 service revolvers used by the low rank prisons peronnels.
Smith & Wesson M&P M&P 9 9x19mm Parabellum  USA In used as service pistols of Prison Department.
Shotguns
Remington 870
12 gauge  USA Used as main service shotguns
Submachine Guns
Heckler & Koch MP5 MP5A3
MP5A2 		9x19mm Parabellum  Germany Standard sub-machine gun used by TTC and Prisons personnels.
Assault Rifles
Colt M16 M16A1
M16A4 		5.56×45mm NATO  USA In used by Prisons Department, TTC using the M16A4 with SOPMOD equipment.
Machine Guns
FN MAG 7.62×51mm NATO  Belgium
Sniper Rifles
Accuracy International Arctic Warfare Arctic Warfare Police 7.62×51mm NATO  UK Used by TTC snipers.
Grenade Launchers
CS Mk.IV  Malaysia Used by TTC.
Non-Lethals
TASER X26 X26P Electrodes  USA Use by all units of the Prisons personnels.

Major cases and incidents

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1981 Botak Chin

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Main article: Botak Chin

1986 Pudu Prison siege

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Famous inmates

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Television

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  • Patahnya Sebelah Sayap (Break Half Wing) – Malay drama created by Ayie Mustafa[7]
  • Disebalik Tirai Besi (Behind The Bar) – Malay drama produced by MDAG Marketing Sdn Bhd[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Home." Prison Department of Malaysia. Retrieved on 7 August 2014. "Malaysia Prison Complex, Kajang Selangor." Map.
  2. ^ "IBU PEJABAT PENJARA MALAYSIA." Prison Department of Malaysia. Retrieved on 7 August 2014. "Bukit Wira, Beg Berkunci No. 212, 43000 Kajang, SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN"
  3. ^ "Prisons History". Archived from the original on 12 April 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2009.
  4. ^ "Prisons Motto". Retrieved 5 August 2009. [dead link]
  5. ^ "(Malay) Penjara Pudu ditutup operasinya pada bulan Oktober 1996".
  6. ^ "(Malay) Penjara Sim Sim telah ditutup pada tahun 1981 dan banduannya dipindahkan ke Penjara Sandakan".
  7. ^ "Malay Drama – Patahnya Sebelah Sayap".
  8. ^ "Malay Drama – Disebalik Tirai Besi".
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