KANGAR: It is time for the government to review the National Drug Policy (NDP) so that efforts to combat drug addiction and abuse can be done in an integrated manner, says Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye (pix).
He said the current challenge of fighting the country's number one enemy was more complex than in the 70s and 80s, as drug traffickers today were increasingly aggressive in influencing the younger generation by using social media and synthetic drugs.
“We need to quickly review and fix the weaknesses in the NDP to develop a more integrated approach.
"The community and parents, in particular, must be involved in ensuring that this issue can be overcome, as legal enforcement alone is not enough," he told reporters during a working visit to the Perlis Contingent Police Headquarters here today, in the presence of Perlis police chief Datuk Surina Saad.
NDP, a comprehensive framework for addressing drug addiction issues was introduced in 1996, and updated in 2004.
Lee said Malaysia had among the strictest laws on drugs, with the mandatory death penalty for drug trafficking, however, there were still people who continued to commit these crimes.
"For me, the time has come for the community to be involved in the fight against drugs because the efforts of the police and the National Anti-Drugs Agency (Nada) alone are not enough," he said.
He said efforts on prevention and awareness should start at home, as most adolescent drug addicts came from troubled families.
According to Lee, it was sad to see some parents who did not lodge reports to the authorities despite knowing that their children were involved in drugs because they wanted to preserve the good name of the family.
In another development, Lee said the MCPF fully supported the police's efforts to carry out the special operation codenamed 'Libero Purus' to detect civil servants suspected of being involved in drugs.
"We have expertise in this area and are ready to work together to educate the community, especially civil servants in achieving the 'zero-drugs' target among civil servants.
"The issue of drug abuse among civil servants needs to be addressed immediately as they should be an example to the public," he said. — Bernama
