The Sultan of Selangor has granted royal pardons to many convicts over the years, though he has rarely met those whose lives were changed by the act of clemency. One notable exception is Dr Malik Yatam, the first inmate in Malaysia to earn a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) while serving a prison sentence.

Now 39, Malik was sent to prison at the age of 14 in 2001. He never imagined that 25 years later, he would walk free not only as a pardoned man, but also as a doctorate holder. He was granted a royal pardon on Dec 11, 2024, in conjunction with the Sultan of Selangor’s birthday.

Today, the Sabahan runs a chilli farm in Selangor together with several former convicts, offering them a second chance much like the one he received.

Soft-spoken and reflective, the Kadazandusun man recounted a life shaped largely by pain and loss, yet anchored by a determination to improve himself through education at a time when hope felt distant. 

Emotion overtook him as a one-hour audience granted by His Royal Highness Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah came to an end on Tuesday. Tears flowed as Malik embraced the Sultan, who also pledged to sponsor his umrah pilgrimage with his wife, a civil servant.

Malik’s journey began in Keningau, Sabah, where he left home for Kuala Lumpur with seven others after being promised a job paying RM800 a month to help support his impoverished family. Instead, after six months working at a restaurant in Sekinchan, he was never paid and became a victim of labour exploitation and physical abuse.

In a desperate attempt to escape, an altercation occurred, leading to the tragic death of his employer. Malik was sentenced to detention at the Ruler’s pleasure. While spared the death penalty under the Child Act, he was imprisoned indefinitely with no release date.

While others his age were beginning their school lives, Malik’s world came to an abrupt halt. Yet amid that darkness, a compassionate juvenile offender officer planted the first spark that encouraged him to resume his education.

He borrowed books from fellow inmates and endured ridicule from others who questioned the point of studying when there was no certainty of freedom. Undeterred, Malik sat for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) in 2006 at the age of 21, followed by the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) the following year.

His academic journey culminated in a PhD in business administration from Open University Malaysia (OUM), where his dissertation examined the entrepreneurial skills of convicts.

“It was very tough,” Malik recalled. “There were restrictions on online research due to prison security. But my supervisor helped tremendously by sourcing reference books and notes.”

He credited the Prisons Department, religious authorities and benefactors such as Datuk Dr Hartini Zainuddin of Yayasan Chow Kit for supporting his educational journey.

Faith also played a significant role in shaping his resilience. Malik embraced Islam in 2002 and said religion gave him strength and direction throughout his incarceration. He often described his journey as one guided by gratitude to Allah.

Following his release, Malik met his wife by chance on a flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to Kota Kinabalu. What began as a simple act of helping her with luggage led to the discovery that they were connected through a relative.

“I now encourage her to continue her studies because I believe education can change our mindset and our lives,” he said.

An advocate for education, Malik now gives motivational talks to young people, hoping to inspire them to persevere despite setbacks. Having spent most of his life in Kajang Prison, adjusting to the outside world has not been easy from learning to use smartphones to navigating e-hailing apps.

“I struggled with e-hailing and was scammed twice because I was too trusting,” he said with a laugh, adding that his wife helps keep him grounded.

Malik’s journey is a powerful reminder of what determination and opportunity can achieve. There were undoubtedly moments when giving up would have been easier, moments of exhaustion, doubt and isolation. Yet he endured years of study, setbacks and uncertainty with quiet perseverance, ultimately earning a PhD against all odds.

His story has since travelled through prison corridors, inspiring even a high-profile inmate who once approached him for advice on pursuing a doctorate after hearing of Malik’s achievements.

In a life once defined by confinement, education became Malik Yatam’s path to freedom,  not just from prison walls, but from the limits placed on who he was allowed to become.

Source / Image Credit : Bernama