Awg Tengah: Commit to fighting drug abuse
KUCHING: Malaysians must join hands in combating drug abuse in order to see their country free from this social menace.
In this respect, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan expresses his regret that this problem is still plaguing Malaysia, despite the government having spent a lot on rehabilitation and drugprevention programmes.
“Some quarters use our country as the transit to smuggle drugs into other countries. Quite a number of people – irrespective of race, religion, culture and background – were used to smuggle drugs across the border and later on, they ended up in jail,” he said at an appreciation dinner for ‘ Strategic Friends’ of Narcotics Addiction Rehabilitation Centre ( Puspen) Kuching at a hotel here on Thursday.
Awang Tengah said Malaysia has stringent laws when it comes to drug problem – even a mandatory death sentence for those convicted
Some quarters use our country as the transit to smuggle drugs into other countries. Quite a number of people – irrespective of race, religion, culture and background – were used to smuggle drugs across the border and later on, they ended up in jail.
of drug offences – but this does not seem to deter such wrongdoing.
He stressed that gone were the days when drug abuse only happened in urban areas.
“These days, drug abuse takes place in rural areas too, and it is getting from bad to worse. Before, rural, coastal and remote areas as well as villages and longhouses were not affected.
“Worst of all, youngsters including students are falling prey to drug abuse due to several factors – family issues and peer inf luence, among them. Some try it out of curiosity but in the end, they end up becoming drug addicts,” he observed.
Awang Tengah called on the community to take the matter seriously by working as a team to fight drug abuse; lest they risk putting social peace and harmony at stake.
He said some drug addicts would go to the extent of causing harm to their own parents if they could not get the money for their fix.
In this regard, the deputy chief minister feared that such problem, if continued to be left unattended, would ruin not just families, but society as a whole.
On this note, he called upon more organisations to collaborate with the National Anti- Drugs Agency (AADK) and Puspen in keeping drug abuse at bay.
He said drug addicts who had gone through rehabilitation must develop skills necessary to be productive and consequently, contribute to society.
Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, Deputy Chief Minister
He felt that more organisations could play a role in reaching out to these individuals, who are determined to turn over a new leaf and be part of the community again.
“When they become ‘clean’ again, they must have some sort of skills in order to secure jobs. Without skills, they won’t be able to find any. They can be trained and guided so as to earn incomes to support themselves. Equipping them with skills can help them seek employment and lead independent lives,” he pointed out.
Awang Tengah believed that AADK and Puspen could work closely with vocational institutions as well as other government agencies to develop individuals who had undergone drug rehabilitation.
He said the fight against drug abuse ought to be the obligation of all, not just the government.
“Thosewhoarecapableoflending a ( helping) hand should reach out to those in need. The satisfaction in successful rehabilitation and such contribution to society are not something that can be measured by monetary value,” he pointed out.
The dinner also hosted AADK deputy director- general ( operations) Dato’ Izhar Abu Talip.