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Malay Mail
a day ago
- Malay Mail
The vanilla farm that's saving lives: Inside Malaysia's revolutionary ‘halfway farm' for former death row inmates
KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 — Just a year ago, Henry Wong, was staring down at a death sentence. He was convicted for drug trafficking and at the time he did not see a way out from behind prison bars. Today, Wong is an intern at Vanilla Impact Story (VIS) Sdn Bhd — a vanilla 'halfway farm' that was created by co-founder Alfred Phua. 'Before my release, I was told that I could be sent to do farming. 'I wasn't sure what it was, but I wanted to try it, I want to change my life, start over,' Wong told Malay Mail in an interview here. On July 4, 2023, Malaysia's mandatory capital punishment was abolished. This gave Wong and other death row inmates a chance to appeal for resentencing which included commuting their death sentence to prison terms. After serving five years in prison, the 32-year-old was released and was offered a placement at VIS. It has been nine months since he was released from prison. 'It was very tough in the beginning, because I had no experience in farming, but now I have learned so much,' Wong said. Turning a new leaf Phua who has years of experience working with troubled youths, said these youths need more than just counselling — they need help to return to the society. 'You can kick the drug using habit, but to integrate them back to the society is difficult. For them to find a job is hard. 'We work with the Prisons Department in Sibu, Sarawak and drug rehab centres and receive recommendation of releases — meaning they've finished the programme, but where do they go?' Phua said. What is a halfway farm So Phua and his business partner created a halfway farm, they employed some of the prison releases to work in the farm as a community. 'Our intern, he (Wong) is one them — he was involved in drug trafficking with his friends — four of them faced the death sentence — and was waiting for his time. Alfred Phua tends to the vanilla plants. Phua, who has years of experience working with troubled youths, said these youths need more than just counselling — they need help to return to the society. — Picture courtesy of Yayasan Hasanah 'But he turned around last year. We took him and sent him to the vanilla farm in Permatang Pauh, Penang,' Phua said. Going by the his own 3Rs — rehabilitating, reconnecting (back to the society) and reconstructing their lives — Phua said by following this, he hopes to train more youths to pick up farming, in this context, cultivating vanilla. 'My dream is for him not just to work here, but to be a business partner — an agripreneur who can eventually train others. 'He's 32 now, and hopefully one day the younger ones will in future take over the work that we've started,' Phua said. It is rare to find halfway farms, Phua said, and different from halfway houses that are in the city because in cities there are still temptations. 'My Sibu partner serves as councillor so it is through his contacts we receive our workers who used to be in prison. 'We don't take everybody. Because some of them have seen big money, so farming is still tough for them. 'Out of the four, only Wong had decided that he wants to change his life,' he said. Phua admitted that it is a tough battle with drug use, especially modern drugs as it affects a person's mental health severely. 'Now with modern drugs, they are gone in one or two years. In the past, I've dealt with heroin and opium users, they take it their whole life but they are still alive, but for Wong, he can maintain his sanity and that's a miracle. 'Kicking the drug is not a big issue, but rehabilitating them back into society and their family is hard and they already suffer very low self-esteem and social stigma,' he added. Working as a social worker for the last 35 years, Phua had always touched base with the grassroots community — the bottom 40 income group, the poor and the marginalised. 'But because of the needs of the poor and marginalised are mainly in the rural areas and among urban poor, we started this natural farming programme,' said Phua. Reaching out to others Wong grew up being disgruntled and unhappy with his life: his parents were divorced and everyone around him had made fun of him. He was brought up by his grandmother, and according to Wong, there was no one that guided him in his life. Henry Wong, trainee for vanilla cultivation farming speaks during an interview with Malay Mail in Kuala Lumpur May 22, 2025. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa 'I stopped going to school because my classmates were making fun of my parents, I really hated my parents for bringing me into this world at the time. Thinking about this led me to the drug world. 'I really hate myself for what I did. But I'm at peace now that I have a second shot at life. I'm very thankful that Alfred gave me this opportunity to start a new life. 'Yes, back then, I had a lot of money, I could basically buy anything I wanted but I was living in fear that one day I would be arrested, and then it happened,' Wong said. In 2024, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail proposed that drug abusers be sent for rehabilitation instead of serving prison sentences. According to Saifuddin, the amendment to the Drug Addicts (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983 aims to give drug users a second chance and help ease overcrowding in the country's 41 prisons — particularly for those jailed solely for drug use. The amendments also take into account cases involving drug misuse, where the standard procedure involves arrest, a police investigation, and, upon sufficient evidence, prosecution and sentencing in court. Under the new law, individuals who test positive for narcotics will be placed in treatment or rehabilitation programmes run by the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) or private drug rehabilitation centres. The main aim of the new law is to shift from punitive measures to a diversion policy focused on rehabilitation. On July 18, 2024, after the Drug Dependents (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act amendments were reviewed by the Parliamentary Special Select Committee, it was passed in Parliament.
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Enzo Fernandez's partner opens up on Chelsea star's decision to break off their relationship 'with no warning' and why she gave him a second chance
Enzo Fernandez 's partner Valentina Cervantes has admitted it was a 'difficult decision' to give the Chelsea star a second chance after their shock split last year. Fernandez split from his childhood sweetheart in October last year in a move that reportedly blindsided his 25-year-old influencer partner and mother of his two children. Cervantes had later shared that she still loved the midfielder and wished him nothing but the best. Following the split, Cervantes returned to Argentina with their children Olivia and Benjamin, before flying back to London for New Year together as a family. Fernandez and Cervantes were then spotted kissing and holding hands in the capital to spark suggestions the relationship was back on. She underlined the reconciliation in April by sharing a photo with her Instagram followers of Fernandez in bed in a Madrid hotel room, before joining the Argentine on the pitch after Chelsea's triumph in the Conference League. Cervantes was asked about the split and reconciliation with Fernandez on the the Multitalenttv show 'Don't Think So Much'. 'Second chances always come, generally with anyone. Because we're human beings and we can make mistakes,' Cervantes said when asked why she gave Fernandez a second chance. 'No more third chances, there's no third or fourth. We're doing very well now; we've known each other for a long time. Enzo looks at me now and knows what's going on with me. 'The decision to come back was difficult.' When confirming the split last October, Cervantes said they had agreed to put 'space' between them. The split had reportedly occurred with Fernandez telling her 'from one day to the next' he didn't want to be with her anymore. During the split, Fernandez was linked to Argentine rapper and model Nicki Nicole, but Nicole was quick to refute suggestions that the pair were an item. A bombshell report earlier this year claimed Fernandez had in part reunited with the mother of his children after an Argentina team-mate had made a move on Cervantes during the split. Cervantes was present as Fernandez was sent off in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday Fernandez had also been linked to the model Pampita Ardohain during his time apart from Cervantes. Cervantes revealed she had been contacted directly by the model to dispel the reports, with the 25-year-old declaring rumours had been 'invented' during her time apart from Fernandez. She suggested that the brief split has made her relationship with the Chelsea and Argentina star stronger, while claiming the time apart had changed her. 'You realise a lot of things and appreciate other things a lot more,' Cervantes said. 'Looking back on it today, I loved it, it was good. We came together when we were very young, we never separated. 'I'm not the Valentina I was before the split. If Enzo used to tell me about going on vacation just the two of us, I told him I wouldn't leave the kids alone. Nowadays, I'm more accepting of that. 'Nowadays, I'll let them stay for three days, no more than that, and then I miss them. 'One thing we have is that we don't fight, we never fight, for us, that's key. We already know each other so well.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Springfield officials support legislation to automatically seal criminal records
SPRINGFIELD — Saying people shouldn't be punished twice for the same crime, city officials are pushing for legislation to automatically seal records for those who committed nonviolent crimes three to seven years after conviction. The Clean Slate Initiative, which is now being debated in the Legislature's Joint Committee on the Judiciary, would automatically seal records of misdemeanor crimes three years after conviction and after seven years for a felony. The law has a clause exempting some, including sex offenders and others who have committed violent felonies, from having their records sealed automatically, according to the bill. 'The intent is to give people a second chance,' said state Sen. Adam Gomez, D-Springfield, who is one of the legislators who filed the bill spearheaded by Sen. Cindy Friedman, a Democrat who represents the Fourth Middlesex district. For Gomez, the bill is especially meaningful, since he got into trouble with the law and was charged with a misdemeanor when he was a teenager. He was able to seal his record, change his life and give back to his community, but many do not have the same opportunity. Currently employers, landlords and others do background checks through the state's Criminal Offender Record Information system and find out about an applicant's legal history. Even if a person was arrested and never convicted, the charge can appear on their record. That means people who have made a mistake are left struggling to find a place to live and having difficulty making ends meet, because they can't find a good-paying job, no matter how qualified they are, Gomez said. People can apply to have their record sealed, but the process is cumbersome, timely and can be difficult for people who can't afford a lawyer, officials said. Hampden County is one of the counties with the most arrests per capita, so the bill is even more important here, Gomez said. The City Council voted last month to support the bill in a resolution that passed unanimously. All councilors asked to be listed as co-sponsors of the proposal. Gomez said he was proud to have the largest city that he represents becoming the first to officially support the bill. City Council Vice President Tracye Whitfield, who proposed the resolution, called the bill a great piece of legislation, which already has been adopted in at least a dozen other states, including neighboring Connecticut and some conservative ones such as Oklahoma and Utah. 'Clean Slate really just levels the playing field. We know that Black and Latino individuals have been and are disproportionately arrested, prosecuted, convicted and incarcerated, and the best way to fix and address this problem is to automatically seal records for low-level, nonviolent misdemeanors and low-level offenses,' she said. Multiple advocates from a variety of agencies, such as Live Well Springfield, Greater Boston Legal Services and the Urban League, spoke in support of the bill. Several talked about people who had records that followed them their entire lives. 'Clean slate is about fairness. It is about economic opportunity,' said Miles Gresham, policy director for Neighbor to Neighbor. 'It is also about public safety. People who cannot find a home and a job (are) more likely to reoffend.' There are now roughly 672,000 people statewide who are eligible to seal their records, many of whom have not committed a crime in decades. Some do not know they are eligible to clear their record, some have mental health issues, others find the petition process daunting, and some are just traumatized over the idea of returning to court, said Andrea Freeman, policy director for the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts. 'It is about fairness and opportunity, and it is also about health,' she said. City Councilor Lavar Click-Bruce said having an unsealed record is 'double jeopardy,' because people who paid the price for their crimes are still being punished because their record follows them when they apply for a job, an apartment and even to enter college. 'If you make a mistake, who are we to judge?' he said. 'It is a resolution that needs to be passed swiftly.' City Councilor Zaida Govan said she has been fighting for legislation like this for three decades. 'When you are in active in active addiction, you get caught up,' said Govan, who added she has been sober for 36 years. 'It is a long time coming. I'm really glad we are doing something about this.' Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Expungement clinic offers fresh start for people with criminal records
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk's Office is offering those who live in Shelby County a second chance to have a clean criminal record. This weekend, the criminal clerk's office is hosting its community Expungement Clinic. For someone with a criminal record, it can impact their ability to secure a job, find a home, or even gain higher education. Former Summer Drive-In property sold The organizers say, 'These events help people get a fresh start and provide access to second chance jobs and community resources to help them stay on track.' The clinic will be held at the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church-Westwood, located at 620 Parkrose Road, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBC
31-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
You don't have to almost die to be happy at work, but it helps
Singer-songwriter Aysanabee was snowshoeing across a frozen lake in remote northern Ontario over a decade ago, when the ice gave way beneath him, plunging him into frigid waters. "I could like feel the icy water filling up my snow pants and I knew I couldn't swim with the snowshoes — and all these different things are running through my mind," said Aysanabee, who is Oji-Cree, Sucker Clan of the Sandy Lake First Nation. "I just thought, 'Wow, this is it, this is it for me and I haven't done anything with my life," he told The Current's Matt Galloway. Aysanabee is now an award-winning musician, but at the time he was 19 and working for a mining company, playing music in bars in his spare time. It was around -40C on that early January day, and the young man was alone, more than six hours outside Ear Falls, Ont. But Aysanabee had managed to fall slightly forward as the ice broke, allowing him to sink an axe into the ice shelf. As he struggled to drag himself out, one swing of the axe at a time, he frantically bargained with "whoever was listening … a higher power or something." "If I get out of this, I promise … I will do this thing, I'll go play music," he remembers pledging. He eventually managed to pull himself back onto solid ground, where he started a small fire to warm up and dry off. On the long walk back to camp, he had time to reflect on how close he came to death — and what he wanted to do with this second chance. "Then, three months later, I bought a one-way ticket to Toronto to go do music," he said. At the University of Guelph, Jamie Gruman and his research team recently interviewed 14 people who suffered near-death experiences, examining the impact on their work and careers. Published in the Journal of Management, Spirituality and Religion in April, their research showed that survivors gained new insights, from a greater interest in spirituality to a belief that everyone is born equal, and here for a reason. "Specifically as a result of those things, the insights and the personal transformations, work often became much less important to people," said Gruman, a professor of organizational behaviour at Guelph University. "They thought, 'Well, why am I doing this? Like, what's the point? Is this meaningful? Does it matter?'" he said. WATCH | Aysanabee performs Near to Death, a song inspired by his experience: In the years since he fell through the ice, Aysanabee has released two critically acclaimed albums. He's been nominated for the Polaris Music Prize and took home two awards at the 2024 Junos, including Songwriter of the Year. Looking back at his younger self, he says he always knew he wanted to be a musician, but didn't know "how to do it." He credits what happened with giving him the courage to pursue that dream. "I think that whole experience definitely made me realize how precious time is," he said. "I don't want to waste any of it, you know, wondering, 'What if?'" Workers 'lost interest' in money Gruman said that what people want from their work boils down to three things: economic security, meaningful work that allows them to grow and develop, and high-quality relationships. But for the study participants who had come close to death, that changed. "They all completely lost interest in making money and any external measures of success," he said. "They didn't want big houses and cars and boats. They didn't want to be the executive vice president. They didn't want to get rich." By contrast, the desire for meaningful work and strong workplace relationships skyrocketed, he said. That led some participants to change jobs, or even completely change careers. Others were able to find what they needed by rethinking how they approached their work, Gruman said, giving the example of a teacher who "didn't really like teaching." After her near-death experience, "she considered herself now to be a teacher in the school of life," he said. "Teaching math and science was just incidental to teaching students about the importance of treating people well and living well." Like Aysanabee, a brush with death taught the participants a lesson about time. "They decided, 'Look, you know, my time here is limited, so let me make a move. And do something that speaks to my soul,'" Gruman said. Listen to your gut, says career coach Career counsellor Stephanie Koonar says there are lots of reasons people can be dissatisfied with their work, but you don't necessarily need a life-or-death experience to make a change. "A lot of it is about being in touch with your own gut instincts," said Koonar, Vancouver-based co-founder of PeerSpectives Consulting, which offers career coaching and leadership development. "My husband calls it the toothbrush challenge: in the morning when you're brushing your teeth, are you excited to go to work?" Koonar helps people dig into those feelings with the Japanese concept of ikigai, which involves asking yourself four questions: What do I love? What am I good at? What does the world need? What can I be paid for? She said the responses can offer clues to what matters most to someone, but it doesn't always mean completely changing your career to get involved with something important to you. "Maybe you're an accountant or maybe you do website development or social media but you could … seek out those organizations that are working on issues and challenges that you think are important and bring your skills and talents to them," she said. She added that bosses and managers also have a role to play. "Nowadays people don't want a boss; they want a coach," she said. "That includes helping them course correct if they've made some mistakes … [but also] spotting their strengths and talents and then maybe giving them opportunities." Ultimately, Koonar says that being happy every day at work might not be the goal. "Happiness is fleeting and at the end of our lives we are looking for more meaning," she said. "[That] might be bringing your talents and your strengths to a challenge. It may not even make you feel happy all the time … but it's rewarding because you're making a difference." For researcher Gruman, the lesson is to focus on what matters in your work life, both in terms of your own well-being and the people you build work relationships with.
