ROYAL pardon for Sam Kian Sang, 66 (main pic), who was imprisoned 27 years for possession of firearms did not come easy.
Although he did not have to pay a single sen for it, freedom to him is priceless for which he is eternally grateful to the then Yang Di-Pertuan Agong (YDPA) the late Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah.
If not for the royal pardon, the former Kajang prisoner who was serving a natural life sentence would have to stay in prison till he dies.
It took him a total of six years to appeal to the YDPA before he was granted the royal pardon. A new appeal can only be submitted once every four years. Subsequently, the review of the appeal is done once every two years.
Despite the 200-page thick dossier with recommendations from prominent lawyers and prison personnel themselves, the appeal which was submitted to the Pardons Board several times was rejected.
Former executive director of Star Media Group Bhd Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai shared how he also became instrumental in assisting Sam to submit his appeal for clemency.
The Star’s “On the Beat” columnist recalled in his column dated May 24, 2015 that when he first met Sam around 2010, the former gangster who was notorious in Chow Kit had already spent slightly over 20 years behind bars.
From the moment he met Sam in 2010, Sam was described by prison wardens as an exemplary prisoner.
In his column, Wong wrote what a prison warden once told him: “You know, I have these hard core gangsters coming into the prison with tattoos all over their body.
“We could never handle these people but the moment we passed them to this man, he will literally turn them into church mouse. They become very obedient. They become changed people – godly people!”
Changing lives
Having become a Christian himself while he was in prison, Sam’s outlook in life changed. After being released in 2016, he has spent time speaking to street people in Pudu, Brickfields, Chow Kit and Kota Raya – and getting them out of the ruts of drug addiction and gangsterism.
His own background helps him to bridge to the people on the streets. With 70 gangsters under his protection, he was arrested in 1988 after he whipped up his .38 Smith & Wesson Special gun and fired two warning shots because a businessman owed his boss RM150,000 and refused to return the money.
That amount in 1980s was enough to buy a double story house in the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.
“When we speak to the street people, we do not do things against their will,” he told FocusM. “Instead, we guide them if they decide to turn on a new leaf.”
As a result of his work, many have turned away from the streets to become responsible members of society.
Just last week, Sam was invited to speak in a seminar for former drug addicts at a rehabilitation center in Kuching. “I have been invited to share my story in churches around the country,” he shared. “The love gifts they give contributes to my subsistence.”
A short biography about him was published with the help of a church. “The layout and printing is also sponsored by Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai. Whatever I can sell, the money goes to help support me in my work.”
The book “Kajang Redemption” is retailed at Canaanland and currently only available in English at RM10 a copy.
Interested parties can also purchase the books (English and Mandarin versions) directly from Sam. “Most of the time, people just buy 10 or 20 copies to give to friends as the delivery charges are more reasonable than buying just one copy,” he contended.
To purchase the book, simply drop Sam an e-mail at [email protected]. Delivery will be arranged through Pos Laju or another despatch service which will have to be borne by the purchasers.
Generous donors of foodstuff for the street people can also contact him about distributing the food to the street people. – Sept 10, 2023
