KUALA LUMPUR: The first prisoner to earn a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree while in prison has been granted a royal pardon by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, in conjunction with His Royal Highness's birthday today.
The Prisons Department announced that Murad (not his real name), who holds a PhD in Business Administration, had been serving his sentence since 2001.
He was just 14 years old when he was detained under the Tahanan Limpah Sultan (TLS) at the Kajang Prison Drug Rehabilitation Centre.
Murad is the Prisons Department's first prospect to achieve a Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration after continuing his education while serving his sentence in prison, the department said in a Facebook post.
The release warrant was read out by Kajang Prison director Preshahdin Monshee.
Preshahdin advised Murad to maintain discipline and utilise his knowledge to improve himself, assuring him that the department is ready to provide assistance if needed.
Murad expressed his gratitude and heartfelt thanks to the Sultan of Selangor for the royal pardon and to the Prisons Department for giving him the opportunity to further his studies and achieve the title of Doctor of Philosophy.