PETALING JAYA: A federation of employers and an organisation operating a drug rehabilitation centre have welcomed an employment programme catering to former convicts, saying it could help reduce the rate of relapse and solve the overcrowding problem in prisons.
The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) said the employability rate for former convicts remains low and the I-Kembali programme could increase the hiring numbers.
I-Kembali is a collaboration between the Prisons Department and NGO Pertubuhan Rakan Ghullam Kembali (Pergak) which offers a placement programme for former convicts and addicts to help them get jobs in six sectors, namely manufacturing, services, construction, agriculture, marketing and management.
The programme is also hoped to reduce the dependency on foreign workers.
However, MEF executive director Shamsuddin Bardan said employment programmes for former prisoners should not be limited to sectors that were generally made for foreign workers.
“Former convicts should not be treated as substitutes for foreign workers,” Shamsuddin told FMT.
“The stigma against former convicts will continue if we have this mindset. The job market for them should not be limited. Make it an open market instead.”
He said if former convicts have certain job skills outside of the listed sectors, employers should be encouraged to recruit them.
Shamsuddin also pointed out that most employment programmes for former convicts and drug addicts were established by NGOs, saying that there is a need for more active participation by the government.
“Without the active involvement by the government, the stigma among the public and employers towards former convicts would remain the same.
“There is a need for the government to run similar programmes. Doing this would increase the confidence among employers to hire them,” he said.
He added that the government should also provide incentives for employers who hire former convicts.
“Those who employed former convicts should be given tax deductions and wage subsidies.”
However, he had concerns regarding such employment programmes, saying it could also increase the stigma against former convicts.
“Perhaps, we should not label them as former convicts but as unemployed people, just like everyone else. The problem is if we grouped them together, people will start looking at them with some prejudice.
“Let them rejoin society without any labels,” he said.
Persatuan Pengasih Malaysia president Ramli Abd Samad urged the government to reskill and upskill former convicts.
“Many drug addicts don’t have paper qualifications. Therefore, they need skills to meet the job requirements,” Ramli said, adding that the government should also provide programmes and funding to improve their soft skills.
He also urged the government to decriminalise drug consumption and possession for personal use.
“Drug addicts should be treated as patients, not criminals,” he added.
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