By Hakim Mahari
PUTRAJAYA: The Prisons Department is targeting a sales revenue of RM2.2 million from the production of Raya cookies by inmates during the Ramadan month.
Its deputy director-general, Datuk Abdul Aziz Abdul Razak, said sales during the two weeks of Ramadan had yielded impressive results.
Aziz said this year's target was set based on the success of last year's sales, which amounted to RM1.9 million.
He said as of yesterday, the sales revenue at the Prisons Department headquarters gallery amounted to RM250,000.
"This year our target for Raya cookie sales is RM2.2 million, representing a slight increase from last year.
"We are actively promoting them across prison institutions and through our website.
"Customers can place orders online. Our collaboration with Pos Malaysia Berhad to impose minimal charges has been positively received by the community.
"To ensure we meet our target, we are diversifying our marketing strategies, engaging specific agencies, and the response we have received today is highly encouraging," he told reporters after the launching of the Prisons Department's function at the Palace of Justice.
Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat honoured the launching ceremony and browsed through the items offered at the event.
Aziz said the inmates involved in the production of Raya cookies had undergone vocational and industrial training.
"Vocational and industrial training is provided across all prisons, with institutions on the east coast focusing on fabrication, while those on the west coast emphasise food and carving.
"There are specific modules, with the longest training lasting one year and six months to complete the programme, though some may finish in as little as three to four months.
"This programme prioritises therapeutic assistance for rehabilitation purposes, and the training adapts to the recovery needs of the participant to facilitate their rehabilitation."
The prison institutions involved are Pengkalan Chepa, Pokok Sena, Bentong, Wanita Kajang, Batu Gajah, Tapah, Kluang, Sungai Udang, Seberang Perai, and Simpang Renggam.
He added that the profits generated from the sale of Raya cookies would be reinvested back to the participating inmates through incentives.
Among the top-selling cookies were Tart Nenas, Cinta Hati Dahlia, My Scoot Femes, Kueh Bangkit, and Rempeyek Kluang.
"Tart Nenas stands out as the bestseller among our Raya cookies, and we take pride in crafting it entirely from scratch.
"We even cultivate our own pineapples to make the jam used in the cookies before processing them and offering them to the public."