‘Community support needed to overcome drug menace’
KUCHING: Assistant Minister of Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali believes that drug abuse in Sarawak will only be solved with community support and the holistic involvement of villagers with anti- drug agencies.
Sharifah Hasidah, who is also Malaysia Drug Prevention Association ( Pemadam) women bureau chairperson, said she was very concerned about an alleged drug peddling case which went viral online recently despite regular raids by the police at the said location of the activity.
“The drug pushers have gone too far. They act as though they are so powerful and are now starting to threaten villagers who lodge reports against their illegal activities,” she told The Borneo Post yesterday.
She stressed that Pemadam will work closely with leaders in all of the villages involved to get to the root of the problem.
“I am always in contact with the ( Kuching) OCPD (ACP) Abang Ahmad Abang Julai, and I’m optimistic we will be able to solve this problem if we bring the community together, and get all of
The drug pushers have gone too far. They act as though they are so powerful and are now starting to threaten villagers who lodge reports against their illegal activities. Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, Assistant Minister of Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring
the village people to work together with us to fight the menace.
“I would also like to appeal to all parents, especially those with teenagers, to check on their children’s activities and whereabouts, and to monitor who their children’s friends are,” she added.
Meanwhile, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof also expressed his deep concern on the issue when contacted by The Borneo Post.
“As MP, I am concerned with what is happening and hope an integrated action will be carried out by the relevant authorities with cooperation from the grassroots leaders and local community.
“Not only surveillance but consistent enforcement with firm action to wipe out drug abuse and the open sale of illegal substances to ensure the wellbeing of the society,” said the Petra Jaya MP, adding the community must act together as one with enforcement agencies to protect the people from the drug menace.
“We must take serious action against drug peddlers who are now not only plying their trade in the open, but have the courage to threaten people who lodge reports against them,” he stressed.
Fadillah and Sharifah Hasidah were commenting on a video, purportedly of drug pushers roaming the streets of Kuching, which went viral recently.
A number of those who commented on the video claimed the peddlers were ‘ back in business’ the same evening after police raided and arrested several of their members in the morning.
The Borneo Post is made to understand the peddlers have threatened to harm villagers who try to expose their activities.