Malaysian Prison Department

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 (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
Constituting instrument
Operational structure
HeadquartersKajang, Selangor, Malaysia
Elected officer responsible
Agency executives
  • Abdul Aziz Abdul Razak, Commissioner General of Prison
  • Vacant, Deputy Commissioner General of Prison (Security & Correctional)
  • Abdul Kadir Rais, Deputy Commissioner General of Prison (Management)
  • Ibrisam 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 under Malaysia's Ministry of Home Affairs responsible for prisons where offenders sentenced by the courts are held. These prisons also serve as detention and recovery institutions.

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

History

During British colonial rule and the Japanese occupation from 1941 to 1945, penal institutions were the responsibility of the individual states' governments with their respective regulations. In the Straits Settlements, a Superintendent based in Singapore served 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. Taiping Prison, 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 it would deter people from committing crimes.

In 1881, Sikh warders were brought in from India to assist Malay warders while vocational instructors from Hong Kong were brought in too an effort to introduce trades to the inmates. 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 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 from 1941 to 1945, the Imperial Japanese Army also used the prisons for housing prisoners-of-war (POWs). All records of the prisons and the POWs for this period were subsequently destroyed by the Japanese by the end of the war.

After the war, 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, abolishing the use of the cat o' nine tails for corporal punishment and replacing 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. The Malaysian Prison Department also carries out capital punishment in the form of long-drop hanging, and corporal punishment in the form of whipping with a rotan.

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

  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

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.

Organisational structure

Prison heads

AppointmentRankAbbreviationName
Commissioner General of PrisonCommissioner General of PrisonKJPY'Bhg Dato Hj Nordin Bin Mohamad
Deputy Commissioner General of PrisonDeputy Commissioner General of Prison (1)TKJPY'Bhg Dato' Haji Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul Razak
Deputy Commissioner General of PrisonDeputy Commissioner General of Prison (2)TKJPAbdul Kadir Bin Hj Rais
Deputy Commissioner General of PrisonDeputy Commissioner General of Prison (3)TKJPY'Bhg Dato Ibrisham Abd Rahman
Director of Perlis PrisonSenior Assistant Commissioner of PrisonPKKMat Johir bin Asin @ Hashim
Director of Kedah PrisonDeputy Commissioner of PrisonTKPSabri Yaakob
Director of Penang PrisonDeputy Commissioner of PrisonTKPRoslan Mohamad
Director of Perak PrisonDeputy Commissioner of PrisonTKPTan Tian Heng
Director of Kelantan PrisonDeputy Commissioner of PrisonTKPHamzani bin Che Ibrahim
Director of Terengganu PrisonDeputy Commissioner of PrisonTKPAhmad Saidi Hamzah
Director of Pahang PrisonCommissioner of PrisonKPDato' Ab Basir bin Mohamad
Director of Kuala Lumpur PrisonCommissioner of PrisonKPY'Bhg Dato Sakeri Bin Dollah
Director of Selangor PrisonCommissioner of PrisonKPY'Bhg Dato Sakeri Bin Dollah
Director of Negeri Sembilan PrisonSenior Assistant Commissioner of PrisonPKKPKK Abd Rahman bin Taib
Director of Malacca PrisonDeputy Commissioner of PrisonTKPKu Nawawi
Director of Johore PrisonCommissioner of PrisonKPAbd. Wahab Kassim
Director of Sabah PrisonDeputy Commissioner of PrisonTKPHajah Nora Binti Musa
Director of Sarawak PrisonDeputy Commissioner of PrisonTKPRosidek Bin Musa

Specialised units

Trup Tindakan Cepat

Control and Prevention Unit

The Control and Prevention Unit, known in Malay as Unit Kawalan dan Pencegahan (UKP), is the paramilitary arm of the Prison Department, tasked with maintaining order and security within prison facilities.[5]

The UKP's duties include:[5]

  • Patrolling prison premises
  • Preventing the smuggling of contraband into prisons
  • Controlling riots and ensuring order among inmates
  • Inspecting newly arrived prisoners
  • Managing internal gate controls within prison facilities

UKP recruits from the ranks of prison officers, favouring individuals with larger, more robust builds due to the physical demands of the role, including the need to overpower inmates during inspections. Members of this unit are identified by their maroon berets and their black-and-white camouflage combat uniforms.[5]

This unit functions much like an infantry unit, adapted to the unique challenges of correctional environments.

List of leaders

Commissioners general

#Commissioner GeneralIn officeLeft officeTime in office
1.Captain Es Lilley1 April 194611 September 19493 years, 163 days
2.Captain Ov Garrat11 September 19491 October 19567 years, 20 days
3.Ft. Lt. WB Oliver1 October 19562 October 19571 year, 1 day
4.Tan Sri Murad Ahmad3 October 195724 July 197719 years, 294 days
5.Dato' Ibrahim Hj. Mohamed25 July 197730 April 198810 years, 280 days
6.Dato' Nik Ariffin Nik Omar1 May 19887 November 19891 year, 190 days
7.Dato' Mohd. Yassin Jaafar1 March 19907 February 19954 years, 343 days
8.Dato' Mohd Zaman Khan9 February 199531 December 19972 years, 325 days
9.Dato' Omar Mohamed Dan1 January 199816 October 20013 years, 288 days
10.Datuk Mustafa Osman17 October 20011 June 20097 years, 227 days
11.Dato' Sri Zulkifli Omar1 June 20091 January 202111 years, 214 days
12.Dato' Nordin Muhamad11 March 2021Incumbent5 years, 169 days

Deputy commissioners general

Deputy Commissioner GeneralYear
Dato Ibrahim Mohamed
Dato Nik Arifin Nik Omar
Mohd Nadzry Kushairi1990–1993
Datuk Omar Mohamad Dan1994–1997
Datuk Mustafa Osman1998–2001
Donald Wee May Keun2004–2005
Samsuddin Tan Sri Murad2006
Dato' Seri Zulkifli Omar2006–2008
Dato' Wan Mohamad Nazarie Wan Mahmood2007–2012
Datuk Hassan Sakimon2009–2017
Dato' Wan Abdul Rahman Wan Abdullah2012–2017
Dato' Alzafry Mohamad Alnassif Mohamad Adahan2017 – 2020
Dato' Jamaluddin Saad2017 – 2020
Dato' Haji Abdul Aziz Bin Abdul Razak2017 – current
Abd Kadir Hj Rais2020-2023

Institutions

Headquarters

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

Prison

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

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

Juvenile 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

Equipment

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

Model Type Origin Usage
Taser X26 Less lethal weapon United States Standard issue
Smith & Wesson Model 15 Revolver
Smith & Wesson M&P Semi-automatic pistol
Glock 17 Austria Used by senior officers and the TTC
Remington 870 Shotgun United States Standard issue
Benelli Nova Italy Used by the TTC
Heckler & Koch MP5 Submachine gun Germany Standard issue
CZ Scorpion Evo 3 Czech Republic Used by the TTC
Colt M16 Assault rifle United States Standard issue A2 and the TTC uses M16A4 with SOPMOD
FN MAG Machine gun Belgium Standard issue
Accuracy International PM Sniper rifle United Kingdom Used by the TTC
CS Mk.IV Grenade launcher Malaysia Standard issue

Major cases and incidents

1981 Botak Chin

Famous inmates

Television

  • Patahnya Sebelah Sayap (Half Wing Broken) – Malay drama created by Ayie Mustafa[8]
  • Disebalik Tirai Besi (Behind The Bar) – Malay drama produced by MDAG Marketing Sdn Bhd[9]

References

  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.
  5. 1 2 3 "Kursus Kawalan dan Pencegahan ( UKP ) Lantikan Baru Siri 1/2014". prison.gov.my (in Malay). Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  6. ↑ "(Malay) Penjara Pudu ditutup operasinya pada bulan Oktober 1996".
  7. ↑ "(Malay) Penjara Sim Sim telah ditutup pada tahun 1981 dan banduannya dipindahkan ke Penjara Sandakan".
  8. ↑ "Malay Drama – Patahnya Sebelah Sayap".
  9. ↑ "Malay Drama – Disebalik Tirai Besi".
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