For 59-year-old Sam Kian Sang, his prison sentence was transformational in more ways than one. That’s because Sam found God while serving a natural life sentence, and channelled what his newfound religion taught him, to help others in dire straits.
He received a royal pardon after 28 years.
According to English daily The Star, Sam was a former gangster, who was jailed at age 31, in September 1988 for possession of a gun.
He escaped the mandatory death sentence for firearms possession but only because he was not identified as the “principal offender.”
Instead, he was given a natural life sentence, in which he would have been doomed to die in prison, as well as receive six strokes of the rotan.
According to Sam, his first three years of prison life was tough as he was filled with anger and a refusal to accept his fate.
Then came acceptance, where he learned to control his emotions and “settle down.”
“It’s a journey of life. How did I get the patience? Because I believe in God and God gave me strength. I focused on staying positive and changing 100 per cent to become a good person.
“Other inmates told me they were going mad after being in prison for a few years. I helped them to think positively, using myself as an example,” he said.
After three years in prison, Sam decided to learn English and picked up Bible studies – with an Oxford dictionary by his side.
As the Kajang Prison’s church leader, he also led daily worship and conducted Bible classes in prison, including for former hardcore criminals. He also succeeded in rehabilitating inmates that prison warders found hard to handle.
Another trait Sam become well-known for was distributing soap and toiletries to other prisoners, said the report.
Seeing his good deeds, lawyers and NGOs began to campaign for his release. Their campaign was also supported by prison warders, who saw Sam as a model prisoner.
Early this week, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong issued Sam a royal pardon.
Walking out a free man at last, Sam satisfied his cravings for his favourite “wan tan mee” by indulging in a plate of it, said the report.
He also learnt to use a mobile phone and plans to move into the Rumah Petros halfway home in Jalan Pinang before reconnecting with relatives and church members.