Those who need help will get help, regardless of area, says Fatimah
BUDUK NUR: The rakyat who need help will get it from the government even if they live in opposition- led areas, said Welfare, Women and Community Wellbeing Minister Datuk Fatimah Abdullah.
She said two areas that should not be politicised are education and welfare.
Children hold the future of the nation, and education is the key to changing the future of children from poor families.
“People ask me, ‘ Why go to opposition areas to help?’. I am a welfare minister; taking care of people’s welfare is my business.
“Those who need help will get help,” she said at a Drug and Substance Abuse sharing session at Kampung Buduk Nur in Ba’Kelalan on Thursday.
On drug abuse, she said the Malaysia Drug Prevention Association ( Pemadam) is under her ministry; the issue is a top concern as those involved are very young, and if unchecked, can destroy the future of the younger generation.
“Drug dealers focus on kids, students, youths because they still have a long life ahead of them, and long life means the economic return is huge. Thus, we must work together to fight this menace.
“We must take action because once they get addicted, it takes very long to rehabilitate them.”
One unexpected and alarming drug abuse case was a teacher and wife in Pusa consuming and distributing drugs; a teacher in Lawas caught possessing and consuming drugs in November last year; and an enforcement officer in Lawas caught for drug possession in November last year, to name a few.
Since December last year and March this year, Lawas and Limbang police encountered many successes in managing the drug menace in Lawas, and Fatimah congratulated them for the effort.
Thankfully, the statistics for drug abuse in Ba’Kelalan is low.
She said in tackling the drug menace, enforcement must be strengthened so the source of the drugs is cut off from reaching the users.
This needs cooperation from the public and community to pass on information to law enforcement.
Aside from that, research needs to be done on why youths dabble in drugs in the first place so advocacy can be done; tell community leaders and parents the dangers of drug abuse to the point that the word ‘drugs’ becomes repulsive to them.