The sales of products made by prison inmates have reached almost RM20 million per year.
Prisons Department director-general Datuk Nordin Muhamad said the products were of quality and had the potential to be the best if they could be showcased.
As such, he said the ongoing Jualan MyPride Fest offers high-quality products made by the inmates at affordable prices.
"Hopefully, this programme can help bring the Prisons Department closer to visitors from various groups.
"Among the products that can be obtained include those made from iron and wood as well as food, batik fabric, songket and Tenun Pahang (Pahang weaving),” he said after the launch of the East Zone-level Jualan MyPride Fest here today.
Nordin said the Prisons Department will offer entrepreneurship programmes to train inmates with skills so that they will be able to fend for themselves when they are freed and, thus become more progressive and competitive members of society.
"Now we have almost 80,000 inmates, with almost 10,000 freed every month.
"From the number freed, we aim to help 6,000 of them by providing job opportunities and suitable accommodation facilities for them,” he said.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency