KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — A 21-year-old prison inmate at Penjara Marang who received the good news today that he had scored 6As in the 2019 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, is hoping very much that his excellent showing will be good enough to secure him a pardon.
“The six As are very precious for a pardon, although my future is still uncertain,” said Hassan (not his real name) who is serving time at the prison at the 'pleasure of the Ruler', having been convicted in 2016 for an offence under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act.
He scored As in the following subjects: Bahasa Melayu, Science, Mathematics, History, Pendidikan Islam and Tasawwur Islam, and received a D in English.
Hassan told Bernama that he faced a long life behind bars unless he did "something good to appeal for a pardon".
“Last night, I could not sleep. Many things were on my mind. I was really hoping for an excellent result, for it to be an eye-opener for many people," said the youngest of seven siblings.
The story of Hassan who had asked the public to pray for him after sitting for SPM late last year, had gone viral on social media, following a write-up by Bernama.
He believes the prayers might have helped him to succeed and there is now a chance for him to receive a pardon and be freed from prison.
Recalling his mother's visit last year, Hassan said she was so surprised that she cried when she saw his trial examination results of 4As, 2Bs and 1C.
With 6As in hand today, the young man is sure his mother will be proud of him when she gets the news.
“Before I entered prison, I could not make ‘mak’ happy. Only now, I get the chance. I want to leave prison and be part of society. I am doing all this for her,” Hassan said, while explaining that he had committed the offence which landed him in prison because of the influence of friends and also due to poverty.
“Students are busy now filling university applications. I also wish to study online but it will require my own funds. I am worried that my family cannot afford it,” he added.
Sekolah Integriti Penjara Marang which Hassan attended, recorded excellent results with all of ts 16 students passing the 2019 SPM examination, said the school's administrator Nor Amalia Kasim, who dedicated the school's success to all parties including the Education Ministry which funded the text books used by the inmates.
Apart from Hassan, three other students respectively obtained 5As, 4As, 3As and 2As. The remaining 12 students scored 1A each. All 16 students obtained an A for Science.
Another inmate, Alif (not his real name), 22, was so surprised by the one A he secured (in Science), as he had only attended school until Standard Six. It took him six months to prepare for SPM.
The inmate who was convicted of robbery in 2018 and sentenced to seven years of imprisonment and two strokes of the cane, told Bernama he sat for the examination to prove to his mother that he could change and to be accepted by his family once again. — Bernama
