KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Women’s Prison became the first prison in the country to implement the ‘Program Wanita Bangkit Bersasar’ WBB) which aims to help former women prisoners live a better life upon their release.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the pilot project was a collaboration between the National Welfare Foundation (YKN) and Malaysian Prisons Department.
“Through this programme, we are targeting women who are talented in running a business but cannot leave the house due to certain constraints such as taking care of children,“ she told reporters after inspecting the implementation of the programme at the Anjung WBB Sabah YKN here today.
She said the YKN and Malaysian Prisons Department also provided the place to generate income for women in prison through the skills learned while serving their sentences.
“For this pilot project, the Anjung WBB Sabah YKN will operate in Taman Olivia, Penampang here, and will be able to accommodate a total of 10 women inmates at a time.
“I hope that with this programme, women in prison will be able to generate an income when they are released and they can be integrated into society,“ she said.
She also said that previously she had visited the Kajang Women’s Prison to implement the programme but the prison was not suitable (to implement) and needed to take several factors into account.
“The prison is big and many activities are carried out there but the inmates are not ready to leave the prison,“ she added.
