PUTRAJAYA: Malaysians languishing in prisons abroad may be brought home to serve their remaining sentence here under a radical "prisoner exchange" programme.
The programme involves 25 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.For Malaysia, the move will overcome the problem of overcrowding in prisons.
Under the programme, prisoners who had served a certain amount of time in the countries they were convicted would be transferred home to complete their sentences there.
However, convicts on death row, those serving life imprisonment or those convicted of sexual crimes are excluded.
Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said the proposal was being "looked into". The New Straits Times, however, learnt that the Asia Pacific Correctional Association, of which the Malaysian Prisons Department is a member, had been toying with the idea for some time now and would likely push the programme at the association's next meeting in Langkawi later this year.
Countries such as Japan, China, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, Indonesia, Tonga, North and South Korea and Malaysia are likely participants of the programme.
"This is not a barter trade," a source said. Once the agreement had been sealed with another country, the exchange programme can commence.
"The countries must agree not to intervene in the conviction meted out by foreign courts."Statistics show that 32 per cent or 11,868 convicts in this country are foreigners.
Sending the prisoners back to their countries would reduce the population in prisons besides the cost of housing them. The source said that unlike an extradition treaty, the programme would help the rehabilitation of prisoners.
Citing the example of a Malaysian being held in China, the source said it would be difficult for the inmate to undergo rehabilitation when he had problems communicating.
Final details of the programme would be drawn up after the meeting in Langkawi before being forwarded to the Attorney-General's Chambers.
The programme involves 25 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.For Malaysia, the move will overcome the problem of overcrowding in prisons.
Under the programme, prisoners who had served a certain amount of time in the countries they were convicted would be transferred home to complete their sentences there.
However, convicts on death row, those serving life imprisonment or those convicted of sexual crimes are excluded.
Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow said the proposal was being "looked into". The New Straits Times, however, learnt that the Asia Pacific Correctional Association, of which the Malaysian Prisons Department is a member, had been toying with the idea for some time now and would likely push the programme at the association's next meeting in Langkawi later this year.
Countries such as Japan, China, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, Indonesia, Tonga, North and South Korea and Malaysia are likely participants of the programme.
"This is not a barter trade," a source said. Once the agreement had been sealed with another country, the exchange programme can commence.
"The countries must agree not to intervene in the conviction meted out by foreign courts."Statistics show that 32 per cent or 11,868 convicts in this country are foreigners.
Sending the prisoners back to their countries would reduce the population in prisons besides the cost of housing them. The source said that unlike an extradition treaty, the programme would help the rehabilitation of prisoners.
Citing the example of a Malaysian being held in China, the source said it would be difficult for the inmate to undergo rehabilitation when he had problems communicating.
Final details of the programme would be drawn up after the meeting in Langkawi before being forwarded to the Attorney-General's Chambers.
