By Tedong Rantayy
MIRI, Feb 25: For the first time, Malaysia carried out an international prisoner transfer under Section 10 of the International Transfer of Prisoners Act 2012 (Act 754).
A Bruneian national, who had served six years of his 28-year and 10-month prison sentence in Malaysia, has been repatriated to his home country to serve the remainder of his term.
The official handover ceremony took place today at the Sungai Tujuh Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security (ICQS) Complex with Ajidin Salleh, senior director of the prison policy division at the Malaysian Prison Department, present.
This marks Malaysia’s first implementation of prisoner repatriation with a foreign nation under the Act.
The 65-year-old male prisoner had been convicted in Miri on March 7, 2019, under Section 420 of the Penal Code for fraud-related offences.
Following his transfer, he will continue serving the remainder of his sentence in Brunei’s Maraburong Prison, effective today.
In his speech, Ajidin Salleh highlighted that this transfer was in line with the Malaysia-Brunei International Transfer of Prisoners Treaty, signed on August 3, 2023.
He emphasised that such transfers play a vital role in the rehabilitation of foreign prisoners, allowing them to serve the remainder of their sentences in their home country.
This approach provides significant benefits, including family support, social reintegration, and an overall smoother transition back into society.
“This initiative reflects the commitment of both governments in upholding prisoners’ welfare and rights under their respective criminal justice systems,” he stated.
Ajidin further stressed that this prisoner transfer serves as a positive step in strengthening diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Brunei, particularly in the realm of criminal justice cooperation.
He expressed hope that such collaboration would continue and expand to cover other aspects of prison management, rehabilitation programmes, and prisoner reintegration efforts.
Additionally, he suggested exploring further areas of cooperation, including the exchange of expertise, training programmes, and the use of modern technology in prison rehabilitation and monitoring. — DayakDaily
