Inmate Defends Master’s Thesis From Behind Bars

ALOR SETAR, - A prison inmate showed that being behind bars was no stumbling block in pursuing a tertiary education. The 34-year-old from the Alor Setar prison pursued a Master's in Management from Universiti Utara Malaysia's (UUM) Business Management School. His hard work paid off when the inmate successfully defended his thesis during a viva session held on Sept 18. A viva session is a university examination in which a student answers questions in speech rather than writing. UUM, in a statement, said the achievement proved that nothing was impossible for an inmate like him to achieve if he had the will to succeed. "Prison taught me a lot about the meaning of life by giving me the opportunity to gain various knowledge and get up to continue moving forward. "I would like to thank the Malaysian Prisons Department for giving me the opportunity to return to study, as well as UUM, especially the supervisors, Assoc Prof Dr Zulkiflee Daud and Dr Mazli Mutazam who always supported me despite being in prison," he said. The viva session was chaired by Prof Dr Hasnizam Shaari from UUM. At the same time, the thesis examiners consisted of Assoc Prof Dr Hamran Mohamad from the National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM) and Assoc Prof Dr Abdul Sukor Shamsudin, also from UUM. According to the statement, The Malaysian Prison Department provides opportunities to inmates interested and qualified to pursue higher education, enabling them to shape a brighter future upon release. Source: BERNAMA News Agency