14th September 2026 - 2 min read
Perkeso has placed 6,846 former prisoners into jobs through its Second Chance programme between 2020 and August this year. Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan gave the count at the Karnival Mega LINDUNG Kerjaya MYFutureJobs carnival on 10 September.
The prison system calls them prospek, a term covering inmates nearing release as well as those who have served their sentences. The carnival brought 35 employers together with 800 prospek and more than 5,000 openings. Khairul Firdaus tied the push to cutting reliance on foreign labour, which DOSM put at 2.13 million workers or 12.7% of the workforce in the second quarter.
Manufacturing, construction, agriculture, food services, and wholesale and retail trade take the most prospek of any sectors.
An employer hiring a prospek on RM2,000 a month can count those wages as a business cost twice, taking RM48,000 off taxable income instead of the RM24,000 actually paid. The doubling applies to wages up to RM4,000 a month, capped at RM48,000 a year for each worker.
Ex-convicts, parolees, and supervised persons all count. Budget 2026 extended the arrangement to YA 2030 and added prisoners released on licence under the Prisons Act 1995. Employers should keep written confirmation from the Prisons Department on file in case LHDN asks for it.
Ahmad Faudzi Awang, the Prisons Department’s deputy commissioner-general, has put reoffending among prospek placed with employers at 0.28%, and has said stigma rather than performance is what keeps placements down.
Kesuma introduced the IKON Awards at this carnival for the first time, recognising prospek who have built careers after serving their sentences.
Employers can list vacancies and screen candidates through the MYFutureJobs portal.
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Iman writes about personal finance with curiosity. She is interested in the stories behind money, the hesitation around big decisions, and the small habits that shape financial futures. Off the clock, she is either dissecting a film or climbing her way up the leaderboard in her favourite games.
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