From incarceration to reintegration, an inmate's painted story
Storyteller: A section of the mural at the Batu Gajah Correctional Centre that was completed in February this year. — Bernama
BATU GAJAH: A vibrant mural now adorns the exterior of the Batu Gajah Correctional Centre, capturing the transformative journey of inmates through a vivid visual narrative.
The mural, a collaboration between the Batu Gajah District Council (MDBG), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Seri Iskandar and the correctional facility, spans approximately 80m in length and 3m in height.
Batu Gajah District Council president Mohamad Razif Ramli said the mural features 25 illustrated panels that trace the journey of incarceration, from the history of Malaysia's prison system to the daily routines, vocational training and hopes of reintegration into society.
'Housed in a facility built in 1902, the mural brings new life and meaning to this historically significant site.
'This marks our third mural collaboration with UiTM Seri Iskandar, but our first with the Batu Gajah Correctional Centre,' he said during the launch of the mural by Kinta District Officer Zulhisham Ahmad Shukori here yesterday.
Also present were Perak Prisons Department director Charin Promwichit Chem, Batu Gajah Correctional Centre director S. Tanabal, and UiTM senior lecturer Dr Syed Alwi Syed Abu Bakar, who is also the deputy project director.
Razif shared that discussions to identify a new mural location began last year, and prison authorities were enthusiastic about supporting the initiative.
'Following detailed planning towards the end of 2024, the mural painting was successfully carried out on-site in February this year,' he added.
Dr Syed Alwi said the mural was created by a team of 25 from UiTM Seri Iskandar, including nine lecturers, four alumni members, and 12 students.
He said all visual content was carefully developed in collaboration with the prison to ensure respectful and meaningful representation.
'The mural is styled as a visual timeline, resembling a strip of film, with each panel telling a different part of the story, from the early history of the Malaysian prison system to modern day rehabilitation initiatives.
'The first few frames delve into the history of Prisons in Malaysia, beginning with Fort Cornwallis Prison in Penang (1790), followed by Taiping (1879), Pudu (1895), and Batu Gajah (1902),' he explained.
He said the other segments illustrate the metaphorical journey towards freedom, symbolised by a dove escaping its cage.
'The artwork continues with depictions of spiritual and moral education, vocational training in carpentry, tailoring, cooking, and other skills inmates acquire during their time in custody.
'A section also shows correctional officers, shown as disciplined and dedicated individuals playing a vital role in supporting inmates' transformation.
Dr Syed Alwi said this initiative aims to change how society views prisons, and shifting the narrative from punishment to rehabilitation.
'Our hope is that this mural encourages greater public understanding and support for second chances,' he said.
When asked whether this was Malaysia's first prison-based mural project, Charin Promwichit noted that a similar effort had taken place at Tapah Prison in partnership with UiTM Seri Iskandar.
'In fact, a mural was once painted by an inmate at Pudu Prison in the early 1990s, so this concept has some history,' he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Express
5 hours ago
- Daily Express
Mara's Penang campus follows Sabah example
Published on: Monday, June 23, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jun 23, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: Dapur HEP helps ease the financial burden on students. BUKIT MERTAJAM: Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Penang campus has introduced a community kitchen initiative, dubbed Dapur Hal Ehwal Pelajar (Dapur HEP), to ease the financial burden on students, making it the first UiTM campus in Peninsular Malaysia to open the kitchen following its implementation at UiTM Sabah in 2023. Dapur HEP was the brainchild of Prof Dr Mohd Sazili Shahibi, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Student Affairs (HEP), who conceived it during a meeting with deputy rectors of Student Affairs across all UiTM campuses. It was introduced at the Penang campus on June 4, 2023, under the leadership of the then Deputy Rector of Student Affairs, Associate Professor Dr Basharudin Abdul Hadi. Penang UiTM's Student Residential and Hospitality staff Dewi Anis Othman said the initiative began with only four rice cookers and 20 kg of rice donated by a private contributor. Since then, the kitchen has expanded and is now equipped with two sets of stoves, essential items, and canned food, allowing students to prepare their meals. She said the kitchen operates from the second-floor pantry of the residential college for male students (Intan) and female students (Nilam). Advertisement 'The kitchen is open daily from 7 am to 11 pm with daily monitoring by the College Representative Committee to ensure cleanliness and maintain inventory,' she told Bernama recently. She said that although the kitchen targets students from the B40 group, it is open to all students as the university understands the financial struggles that many of them face, having to tighten their belts to make it through their studies. Dewi Anis said the initiative has so far benefited 50 per cent of the 5,500 students from seven residential colleges on campus, adding that it won the Gold Category Special Award for Best Dapur HEP at the 2024 UiTM Excellence Awards for National Student Residencies in January. She said the programme also received attention from Asean member countries, such as Indonesia and Thailand, whose representatives visited the campus to study the approach that UiTM Penang adopted, intending to implement a similar model at their universities. 'We hope to expand the Dapur HEP initiative so that more students can benefit, especially students with disabilities. We are currently working to identify a suitable ground-floor location for this purpose,' she said, adding that around 15 UiTM campuses, including satellite campuses, have already begun implementing the Dapur HEP initiative. Meanwhile, a Master's in Chemical Engineering student, Nur Basiroh Mohd Rahim, 26, praised UiTM's effort in opening the kitchen, admitting that it has been a great help in reducing her daily food expenses. 'I would spend around RM15 per day for food, sometimes more during lunch. Dapur HEP allows me to save money, especially on weekends, by cooking simple meals like fried rice and sharing them with my friends,' she said. Muhammad Hakimie Azim Azha, 22, said other universities should emulate UiTM's initiative to introduce Dapur HEP, as not all students come from well-off families. 'Studying at university costs a lot, especially for someone like me who's taking a tourism course, as we often have off-campus trips. I make full use of Dapur HEP. It would be a waste not to, as it helps reduce food expenses. 'I use the kitchen about four to five times a week, and it helps me save around RM15 to RM20,' said the final-year Diploma in Tourism student. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
15 hours ago
- New Straits Times
79-year-old woman 20th Malaysian pilgrim to die in Holy Land
Nation Jun 15, 2025 @ 1:21am Another Malaysian haj pilgrim dies in the Holy Land Nation Jun 8, 2025 @ 1:54am Ninth Malaysian pilgrim dies in Holy Land Nation Apr 28, 2025 @ 8:18pm First group of Malaysian pilgrims departs for Holy Land Nation May 31, 2025 @ 7:08am Malaysian haj pilgrim dies in Makkah from heart attack
New Straits Times
17 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Passing of BH entertainment editor great loss to journalism
KUALA LUMPUR: The passing of Berita Harian entertainment assistant editor Raja Nurfatimah Mawar Mohamed, today is a significant loss to Malaysian journalism, particularly in the field of entertainment reporting. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, in a Facebook post, expressed his sadness over the news and extended his condolences to Raja Nurfatimah's family and the BH team. "Innalillahi wainna ilaihi raji'un. May Allah SWT bless her soul, forgive her sins, and place her among the righteous. "She was a highly respected media practitioner, well regarded by colleagues and peers in the industry," he said. Raja Nurfatimah, 49, died Raja Nurfatimah, 49, died at her home in Sungai Long, Kajang, after complaining of chest pain and breathing difficulties at around 2pm. With over 30 years of experience in journalism, she was a prominent and familiar figure in the local entertainment media scene. Her body was taken to Kajang Hospital for a post-mortem and is expected to be laid to rest in her hometown of Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu. – Bernama
