People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia has called on Kajang Prison to introduce vegan meals for inmates.
According to PETA, the move could create a calmer prison environment while reducing operational costs for all inmates, including former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Vegan meal policy could cut operational costs
In a letter addressed to Kajang Prison director Mohd Sharin bin Hj Sabtu on Tuesday (26 May), PETA President Jason Baker urged the prison administration to consider adopting a vegan meal policy.
âWill you please implement a vegan meals policy in Kajang Prison, for former Prime Minister Najib Razak and other inmates?â Baker wrote.
Baker noted that correctional facilities that have switched to plant-based meal programmes have reported positive outcomes, including lower food expenses and healthier inmates. He highlighted a prison in the United States that reportedly saved more than RM1.1 million after transitioning to all-vegetarian meals.
âA jail in the U.S. reported a cost reduction of over RM1.1 million when it switched to all-vegetarian food for its inmates,â he said, adding that vegan diets could also help lower healthcare costs linked to diet-related illnesses.
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A step toward stopping the “cycle of violence”
PETA further argued that veganism encourages compassion and non-violence, while condemning factory farming practices as cruel towards animals.
âBy refusing to serve the products of cruelty, prisons can help stop the cycle of violence,â Baker stated in the letter.
The organisation added that Malaysia is uniquely positioned to lead prison reform efforts in the region due to its growing focus on sustainable and healthy living. By offering vegan meals in Kajang Prison, the group believes Malaysia can “show the world that peace is possible, even in the hardest places.”
PETA concluded by offering to assist prison authorities in creating nutritionally balanced vegan meal plans for the inmates.
What do you think of PETA Asia’s letter?
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