Record for Malaysia's Longest-Serving Prisoners at Taiping Prison

The story of Salleh Talib and Jamil Ahmad, who were released from prison in 2006 after receiving a pardon, made history as the longest-serving prisoners in Malaysia, and their story serves as a valuable lesson for all.

In this article, Orang Perak would like to share the story of one of them, Salleh Talib, who was born in Taiping, Perak in 1949. Together with his friend, Jamil Ahmad, he served a prison sentence for more than half of his life.

Salleh Talib first became involved in criminal activities due to the pressures of life and a desire for luxury. In 1976, Salleh Talib and Jamil Ahmad decided to migrate from Baling, Kedah to the town of Kuala Nerang.

The dire financial situation in Baling at the time forced them to move in search of work. However, the opposite happened; their hopes of finding employment in Kuala Nerang were shattered. Their migration from Baling to Kuala Nerang was like jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

Because of this, Salleh Talib began committing small-scale robberies with his friend Jamil Ahmad, such as snatch thefts, break-ins, and various other crimes around the Kedah area. The initial number of cases involving Salleh Talib was approximately 45, and they gained tens of thousands of ringgit in profit.

Not satisfied with that, they pooled their profits and bought firearms from Thailand. It was easy to obtain firearms in Thailand, and the two made the most of this opportunity to facilitate future large-scale robberies.

Consequently, they managed to obtain a shotgun and a pistol. One day, after 3 months of scouting the quiet road used by Felda management to transport their workers' salaries, they finally succeeded in robbing them and making off with RM50,000.

However, before they could spend the money, they were finally trapped when a friend who had borrowed their weapons for a robbery was arrested by the police. After an investigation, the police were able to identify Salleh Talib and Jamil Ahmad for the various robberies they had committed.

Salleh Talib and Jamil Ahmad were sentenced to life imprisonment for committing robbery under Section 4 of the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971. They were also sentenced to 6 strokes of the cane, which left lifelong scars.

Read the story of the Raja Muda of Perak asking Salleh Talib to make shoes

After serving a prison sentence of 30 years, 11 months, and 9 days—equivalent to more than half of their own lives—they were finally granted a pardon by the Sultan of Kedah, the late Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah. The auspicious date of October 3, 2006, marked their release into the outside world after more than 30 years in prison.

Salleh Talib passed away in 2012 at the age of 63 due to old age, 6 years after his release from Taiping Prison. His remains were buried at the Pokok Assam Cemetery.

Image credit and adaptation from Syahril Kadir and Utusan