POKOK SENA: "When I get out, I will be a star!", declared Maria, a 29-year-old inmate at Pokok Sena Prison.
Maria is sentenced to five years in prison for drug related offences.
The former freelance singer and entertainer from Sungai Dua, Penang, said being in prison made her realise how much of her life she had wasted.
"This is my third time in prison for drug-related crimes.
"The first two stintts were for four months, but this time it is for five years, and I have only served two years. I felt like I wasted my life here.
"I'm determined. Once I get out, I want to chase my dream of becoming a star in the music industry," she said when met at the Pokok Sena Prison Jalinan Kasih Aidilfitri programme here today.
Maria was one of 15 inmates allowed to meet their loved ones.
She said meeting her family and performing several songs on stage for the programme meant a lot as it was the first time she saw her mother since being sent to prison.
"I miss my mother so much. I promised her that when I get out, I will be a better person, I will make her the proudest mother in the world," she said.
Maria said she regretted her mistakes, and that her drug habit almost destroyed her life.
"I started taking drugs when I was 19 to have fun with my friends. I wanted to celebrate life but I did it the wrong way and took ecstasy pills. I didn't realise that I was ruining myself.
"I didn't learn from the first two jail sentences because they were brief, but here, with the help of the wardens and other inmates, it made me realise I have more to give to this world and I am wasting my God-given talents," she added.
Maria also advised all youngsters not to get influenced by their peers to try drugs and alcohol.
"Please don't do the mistakes I did, there's more to life than the short-term enjoyment we get from drugs, don't make those impulsive decisions," she added.
State prison director Abdul Kadir Jailani Ismail said everyone, even inmates, deserved to be with their families during festive occasions.
"I hope that from these programmes we can start to change the public's perception of inmates. They are people, too.
"Hopefully, the inmates will also cherish these moments with their loved ones and be motivated to better themselves," he added.