Illustrative image (Source: bernama.com) Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysia will launch a drug prevention campaign early 2020, the Malaysian Home Ministry announced on October 16.
At the second meeting of the Cabinet Committee on the Eradication of Drugs in 2019, which was chaired by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, members of the committee said drug abuse cases and the number of seized items are still high.
It was agreed at the meeting that the proposed amendments to the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983 would be reviewed taking into account the views of its members, the Home Ministry said in a statement.
The meeting also agreed that all government agencies are responsible for implementing integrated prevention programmes through initiatives under the National Drug Policy for the period 2020–2025, where such programmes were coordinated and monitored by the ministry, especially the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK).
The meeting also agreed on the empowerment of the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department of the Royal Malaysia Police by upgrading its assets and technology, as a step towards enhancing the department's readiness to tackle global drug crimes.
The government should enhance cooperation with non-governmental organisations through the Alternative Service Delivery initiative by implementing appropriate supervision programmes for those being supervised under the AADK.
Under Malaysia’s law, drug addicts would be sent to rehabilitation centres for two years under a programme that costs the Government more than 300 million ringgit (70 million USD) each year./.
VNA
