Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), which rescinded the study loan of Malaysian student Nur Fitri Azmeer Noordin after he was convicted in a UK court for possession of child pornography, said he could continue his studies in Malaysia once he’s served out his prison term.
MARA council member Nazir Hussin Akhtar Hussin said the agency’s decision was a form of support for the 23-year old student, described as a “Malaysian math genius”, and to provide a second chance for him.
“In unofficial discussions, council members and the Mara chairman have agreed to give him a second chance after he serves his sentence.
“We will support him in any way possible to help him rebuild his character and one way is to give him a chance to study in any Mara institution,” he said, as quoted by The Malay Mail Online.
Nazir went on to say that MARA would extend the same form of assistance to any Malaysian academic high achievers sponsored by its scholarship and loan programmes should they find themselves in a similar legal situation.
“Any individual who repents for a mistake should be given a second chance after being punished especially among gifted students who can become national assets,” he said.
He added that according to UK prison officials, Nur Fitri had shown good behaviour behind bars.
British media reported last week that Nur Fitri, who was studying at the Imperial College of London under a MARA scholarship, was found guilty of being in possession of more more than 30,000 videos and photos depicting child pornography.
Among the videos were 601 “Category A” articles of child porn, which meant they depcited acts of sexual penetration with underage children.
When UK police raided his home, they found Nur Fitri next to a life-sized mannequin of a young boy.
Following the media revelations, MARA announced that it had cancelled Nur Fitri’s student loan, while asserting that it had suspended the transfer of loan funds into his bank account last November, when he was first arrested by UK police.
MARA also claimed that Nur Fitri would be eligible for deportation back to Malaysia a month after his conviction, as British law allows for a foreigner convicted of a crime there to be sent back to their country of origin after serving two-thirds of their sentence in the UK.
The claim is a little confusing, as Nur Fitri was sentenced to five years in prison for his crime.
Yesterday, Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal said his minister is considering appealing for a lighter sentence for Nur Fitri.
Know about something happening in KL and Malaysia? Want to share? Send us an email:kl@coconuts.co – don’t just read the news, make it!
