{
  "id": 8881612,
  "title": "Prisons dept denies claims prison life depends on money, influence",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/prisons-dept-denies-claims-prison-life-depends-on-money-influence-8881612",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-21T07:39:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/09/21/prisons-denies-claims-prison-life-depends-on-money-influence"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The prisons department in Malaysia has rejected claims made by singer-composer Yasin Sulaiman that life in prison hinges on financial resources and social influence. According to Rosidek Musa, senior director of prison policy, the assertion is inaccurate as the department has established standard operating procedures (SOPs) for managing inmate misconduct or negative events. The department's focus, as stated by Musa, is on rehabilitation programs and addressing negative occurrences, not on exacerbating problems as alleged by Sulaiman. Musa pointed out that numerous former inmates have successfully rebuilt their lives, thus questioning the emphasis on negative aspects. The claim was made during an episode of Sulaiman's AididitMyWay podcast, where he suggested a ranking system among inmates, with \"boss\" and \"taiko\" groups, and also alleged that drugs could infiltrate the prison system with sufficient money and influence. Musa confirmed that the department regularly reviews and tightens its SOPs, and overcrowding remains a concern at Pengkalan Chepa prison, prompting ongoing efforts to address this issue. In a related development, the bookathon program organized by the prisons department donated 10,000 books to inmates across the country, with the exception of Sabah and Sarawak.",
  "summary": "Prisons department senior director of prison policy Rosidek Musa says existing SOPs are able to handle misconduct or negative incidents among inmates.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Prisons dept denies Yasin's claims of money, influence determining prison life",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/prisons-dept-denies-yasins-claims-of-money-influence-determining",
        "published": "2026-09-21T06:32:02.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Prisons dept denies claims prison life depends on money, influence",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/21/prisons-dept-denies-claims-prison-life-depends-on-money-influence",
        "published": "2026-09-21T07:39:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}