For 43-year-old Mohd Khairul Ab Aziz, this achievement represents far more than an academic milestone. “I did this for my children. I want them to see that I am trying to reclaim the dignity I once lost.

“I made mistakes, but I am no longer that person. Every day, I strive to prove to them that I have changed,” he said after receiving his master of social science degree at Universiti Sains Malaysia’s convocation ceremony recently.

Khairul served a five-year prison sentence from in 2016 for a drug-related offence. But his life took a decisive turn in 2020 when he attended a talk by Hafizi Harun, president of Persatuan Pengasih Malaysia, at a prisons department event. That talk inspired him to pursue higher education.

His mother, Sarinah Abdullah, 65, expressed profound pride in her son’s achievement, acknowledging the extraordinary challenges he has overcome to reach this point.

During his final five months in prison, Khairul pursued his studies with limited reference materials and just 1.5 hours of internet access per session for academic resources.

Following his release in December 2021, the oldest of three siblings committed firmly to his new path. Supported by his family and academic supervisor, he completed his remaining coursework.

Notably, Khairul conducted Malaysia’s first research study on cocaine use, with his findings incorporated into the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Global Report on Cocaine in 2023.

Looking ahead, Khairul hopes to pursue a doctorate if provided with the opportunity and resources. He also wishes to reunite with his children, and recently launched a snack business in Kuala Lumpur as his first entrepreneurial venture.

“I cannot erase my identity as a former inmate, which is precisely why I’ve chosen education as my path to transformation,” he said. “Through knowledge, we can help others who remain trapped in drug addiction to change their lives.”