Walking Out Of Prison With A Doctorate

By Rozainah Abdul Rahim

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- When Malik Yatam was placed under ‘Tahanan Limpah Sultan’ (TLS, the Malaysian equivalent of At His Majesty's pleasure under British Law) at the age of 14 in 2001 for a murder offence, little did he guess he would one day walk out of prison bearing the title ‘Dr’.

Being behind bars did not stop him from dreaming big. He went on to make history as the first inmate in the country to earn a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) while still serving a prison sentence.

Now aged 43 and managing a chilli farm in Selangor alongside other former inmates, the Kadazan man from Sabah admits the journey to attaining his academic goals was far from easy. Others dismissed his ambition as impossible and he even became a subject of ridicule among fellow inmates, who questioned the point of pursuing higher education without any guarantee of freedom.

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“For me, knowledge is not just for this world. Even if I didn’t know whether I would be released or not, I believed that knowledge is something we carry into the hereafter,” he said.

Speaking as a guest on Bernama Radio’s programme ‘Suara Alfa’, he said his dream of continuing his studies faced numerous obstacles, including the absence of legal assistance to manage registration and academic matters.

His applications to continue with his studies were repeatedly rejected, but Malik refused to give up. He borrowed books from fellow inmates and studied independently, despite having no certainty about his future.

Malik spent 21 years behind bars and was released on Dec 11, 2022, after he was granted a royal pardon in conjunction with the birthday of the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. 

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Malik’s darkest chapter began in his early teens when he left his hometown of Keningau to seek work in Kuala Lumpur to support his impoverished family. He found employment at a restaurant in Sekinchan, Selangor, and was paid RM800 a month. Unfortunately, he was exploited by his employer and failed to receive any wages. 

In a desperate attempt to escape, an unexpected altercation broke out, ending in his employer’s death, which led to his incarceration at such a young age as a TLS prisoner.

Malik described serving a prison sentence in his youth as a period of emptiness, as if the world had gone dark and there was no longer room for dreams, especially with no release date in sight. However, a meeting with a juvenile officer changed everything.

The encounter opened his perspective and reshaped his once clouded outlook on life. Having “grown up” in Kajang Prison, Malik expressed gratitude that his pursuit of education received support from various parties, including the Prisons Department.

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Prominent activist Datuk Dr Hartini Zainuddin, founder of Yayasan Chow Kit, sponsored his studies through to completion. Today, Malik stands as a source of inspiration and motivation for other prison inmates to further their education.

“God willing, I can pass on what I’ve learned to other inmates. When they change and are eventually released, they can contribute back to society.

“I hope that will be one of my contributions to the community. It also motivates me to stay strong in facing challenges and trials,” he said.

His perseverance, hardship and sorrow were not in vain. Today, Malik smiles as his chilli farm venture is fulfilling his dream of lifting his family out of poverty.

Malik sat for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination at the age of 21, followed by the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) a year later, before completing his PhD in Business Administration from Open University Malaysia. His doctoral dissertation focused on entrepreneurial skills among prisoners.

-- BERNAMA