PUTRAJAYA wants to increase private sector involvement in its prisoner-corporate smart internship (CSI) programmes to ease overcrowding in jails, according to Muhyiddin Yassin.

The home minister said the CSI programme will be a win-win situation for both parties – the corporate sector can overcome its manpower shortage while prisoners on parole get an opportunity to rehabilitate outside prison walls. 

“This will help parolees hasten their integration into society. They will have the opportunity in various fields of work through training provided by the corporate sector. With these skills, they can secure permanent jobs when they are released,” Muhyiddin said at the launch of the CSI at the Prisons Malaysia headquarters in Kajang today.

Currently, about 80 companies employ parolees as interns, Muhyiddin said, while many private firms are not aware about the incentives offered to them if they signed on the programme.

“A lot of companies do not know that the government gives incentives for them to help in these programmes. That’s why we did this event today to spread the message to the corporate sector to get involved.”

Muhyiddin also said there are plans in the pipeline to upgrade the conditions of prisons and even build new ones to ease overcrowding but is waiting funding approval.

“We have a timeframe to upgrade (the prisons) so that they’re not crowded and second, we want to build new ones. We need to wait for MoF’s allocations because this would cost millions.

“One way of dealing with this issue is through the CSI programme,” he added. 

Since 2016, some nearly 3,000 parolees have benefitted from this programme. – August 2, 2019.