KUALA LUMPUR: After spending 27 years behind bars in Malaysia, hairdresser Chu Tak Fai sees Malaysia as his second home.

After gaining his freedom, Chu returns to Malaysia to visit prison officers four years after his release, with his wife, whom he met and married in Hong Kong on 30 Apr this year, exactly 31 years after he was arrested on 30 April 1993.

Chu has a soft spot for Malaysia.

This is because at one point, he spent more time in Malaysia than Hong Kong, his birthplace.

By the time he received the third and final pardon from Sultan of Kedah as one of the longest-serving foreign prisoners in 2020 to return to Hong Kong, the 49-year-old had spent longer time in Malaysia than Hong Kong!

Accompanied by his wife, Chu returned to Malaysia to visit a retired police officer and a prison officer who is seriously ill.

“I visited these two men in Alor Setar. The police officer gave me the translation job while the prison officer treated me very well when I was in prison,” said Chu at a press conference held by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok last Friday.

He returned to Malaysia with his wife, whom he married on 30 April this year.

Chu also visited a drug rehabilitation centre Victory de Home in Ipoh to share his story of how he turned over a new leaf.

“Although I spent close to 28 years in prison in Malaysia, I love Malaysia and see it as my second home.

“I hope to contribute back to Malaysia to help those in need,” he said.

Chu and his wife were in Malaysia from 10 to 20 September to meet friends.

They were moved by the Malaysians they met and said their friendship was precious which could not be gauged by money.

It was reported that Chu was arrested at the age of 22 at Bukit Kayu Hitam immigration control on April 30, 1993 for heroin trafficking.

He was on death row for years after he was convicted by a High Court in 1994. The Federal Court affirmed the conviction in 2001.

After 12 years on death row, Chu presented a clemency petition to the Kedah Pardons Board in 2006 and had his capital punishment commuted to natural life imprisonment.

In 2014, he submitted another clemency petition and had the natural life imprisonment term converted to life imprisonment of 20 years, beginning 2016.

Chu submitted his final petition on 10 March 2020 to be freed from jail. This was granted by the Sultan.

According to a petition filed by Amnesty International in 2001, Chu came from a broken home in Hong Kong.

He left school without any qualification and found it difficult to find work.

He was reported to have agreed to carry drugs to Malaysia to help his family pay back heavy debts.

Chu’s mother and two sisters had never been able to visit him in prison due to financial reasons.

According to his lawyers, Chu benefitted greatly from the guidance he received from the Pembangunan Insan Programme and the vocational classes held at Kajang Prison.

His behaviour and conduct were so exemplary that he was appointed to assist prison officers in the management of the prison.