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https://www.rage.com.my/drugtrade/
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29 June 2019
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia has proposed removing criminal penalties for possession and use of drugs in small amounts, a move medical groups said will help addicts break a “cycle of imprisonment and poverty.”
The Southeast Asian country currently has tough anti-drugs laws – those caught with relatively small quantities of cannabis, heroin and cocaine may be charged with drug-trafficking and face the death penalty.
If narcotics are decriminalised, it would be a rare step in a region where many governments hand down harsh punishments for drug-related crimes.
Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad announced the government was set to introduce the “significant game-changer policy” of decriminalising drugs.
The move is a crucial step “towards achieving a rational drug policy that puts science and public health before punishment and incarceration,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
“An addict shall be treated as a patient (not as a criminal), whose addiction is a disease we would like to cure.”
He insisted it did not mean that Malaysia was seeking to legalise drugs, and trafficking will remain a crime.
The policy is in the early stages and the minister did not give further details.
The announcement was welcomed by dozens of NGOs and medical groups, including the Malaysian Medical Association and the Academy of Medicine Malaysia, who backed the “public health approach” to drug use.
“Criminalisation makes many drug users afraid to ask for medical help for fear of punishment and a criminal record,” they said in a joint statement, adding the current policy “creates a cycle of imprisonment and poverty” for addicts.
Earlier this week, Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that most of the 70,000 prisoners in Malaysia were drug addicts.
It remains to be seen whether the government, a reformist alliance that took power last year, can push through such a controversial change in a country where many are staunchly against drugs.
The government announced with great fanfare last year that would it abolish capital punishment entirely. But after a backlash, authorities dropped that plan and now say only the mandatory death penalty will be axed.
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/06/499873/govt-decriminalise-drug-possession-personal-use
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6 June 2019
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THE National Anti-Drug Agency has recorded the number of drug addicts nationwide from 2014 until September 2018 at 133,684, which is 0.40 per cent of the country’s population. The youngest drug abuser on record is a 7-year old child.
Drug addiction and drug abuse are serious concerns which affect society and public policy in multiple arenas, including loss of productive manpower and a taxation on the criminal justice administration and system.
Pahang recorded the highest number with 16,150 (0.96 per cent of its population), followed by Kelantan with 16,918, Terengganu (10,576 addicts or 0.87 per cent) and Perlis (2,123 addicts or 0.82 per cent).
Negri Sembilan ranked fifth with 7,503 drug addicts, Penang (9,684), Melaka (4,140), Kedah (9,691), Johor (13,003), Perak (8,596), Kuala Lumpur (8,270), Sabah (9,513), Selangor (13,123) and Sarawak (4,414).
Of this, 80,598 or 73.4 per cent were youths aged between 19 and 39, 26,197 were adults aged 40 and above, and 3,043 were teenagers aged between 13 and 18.
Malays form the highest number of addicts — 88,522 — followed by the Chinese (7,883), Indians (7,689), Sabah Bumiputeras (4,274) and Sarawak Bumiputeras (713). Male addicts stood at 105,632 compared with females at 4,206.
It is estimated that currently, Malaysia suffers 70 new drug addicts daily. The ugliest part of this issue is that out of the total number of reported cases, 3,046 were new addicts and 682 were repeat offenders.
There are two explanations for the high incidence of repeat offenders. First, impulsive individuals with weak social attachment to others tend to get into trouble more frequently than less impulsive and more attached individuals.
Some have argued that jailing drug users is not the answer to the problem as, in most cases, the offenders continue with the habit after being released from prison. In fact, while serving their sentence in prison, non-addicts or new addicts mix with old drug addicts and pushers and as a result the habit gets worse. Many small-time drug users “upgrade” themselves to become pushers or dealers and in fact, some even join the syndicates in the underground economy.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Mohd Azis Jamman has said that up to 3.2 million Malaysians are living in areas considered “high risk” due to rampant drug trafficking and abuse.
Various factors, including the prevalence of drug pushers and changing lifestyles, have given rise to the high-risk areas. The trend in drug abuse has changed of late, with drug users moving from plant-based drugs, such as marijuana and heroin, to more harmful synthetic drugs such as syabu and ecstasy.
More worryingly, a total of 425 Malaysian drug mules have been detained by the authorities in 19 countries from 2013 to October last year.
Drug trafficking is lucrative for Malaysian cartels, generating billions of ringgit in annual income. A few years ago, Universiti Utara Malaysia’s research findings on the economic cost of drug abuse found the government had spent RM8.65 billion in direct and indirect costs to tackle drug issues.
According to the police, drug syndicates earned a whopping RM1.2 billion in profits in the space of a year. Lately, months of operations around the country have made a huge dent in the war against illicit drugs. The seizure of RM72.5 million worth of party pills and ganja in Penang was the largest in the country. Prior to that, RM54 million worth of syabu was seized on Aug 31 last year. Police have seized drugs in almost every state and the amount is getting bigger.
In 2017, the National Anti-Drug Agency identified 2,000 schools nationwide as being at high risk of student involvement in drugs. The agency said students at 400 of the schools, mostly secondary, were involved in drugs. The students were mostly males aged between 14 and 16, and the schools were mostly found in farming and fishing settlements.
There should be more scientific studies to find out the main contributing factors to this social malaise, such as parenting, socio-economic problems, demand and supply, weak enforcement, and integrity and border issues. The lack of effective preventive measures, and the use of globalisation tools and technologies which enable syndicates to smuggle drugs into our country, continue to be contributory factors to this evil.
Corruption is one of the main reasons why drug trafficking is still rampant. Ironically, the police had several times warned that they were not going to compromise in their fight against drugs. The new IGP will definitely need to overcome this problem in the force.
To address this problem effectively, our government needs well-trained law enforcement officers with high integrity and good intelligence procurement capabilities.
All relevant law enforcement and related agencies should work together and exchange information on drug trafficking, together with international cooperation on top of strong national policies on prohibition and enforcement.
In terms of rehabilitation, addicts need family support and a greater helping hand from society. The most important place for this drug war to be fought is in the home, using kindness, compassion and fairness.
Many parents think schools should handle the issue of drug abuse prevention. But even if schools were to introduce drug abuse education, this must be supported by a very strong anti-drug message in the home.
Employers need to avoid the misconception that employing people who have been through rehab is overly risky and dangerous. The Work and Pensions Secretary in the UK found that ex-drug users can make the best workers. It has outlined new schemes dedicated to getting welfare claimants with drug and drink problems into employment.
We need to find some light at the end of the tunnel to rid ourselves of this great evil in our society or we will all suffer the terrible, personal and national consequences. We need to wake up and fight. It is a fight we are all in, for the sake of our country and future generations.
The writer holds a professorial chair for Crime and Criminology at Institute of Crime & Criminology, HELP University
https://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnists/2019/06/494328/fighting-drugs-home-front
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The StarVerified account @staronline
Professionals turning to drugs due to stress
- NATION
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Thursday, 6 Jun 2019
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): A medical doctor addicted to drugs? As unlikely as it may sound, it does happen and one doctor here is now battling addiction – all because of job-related stress.
It all started nine years ago when Dr Sasitharan Ayanai, 39, a medical graduate from Russia, was doing his housemanship at a government hospital in Johor Baru.
Long work shifts – sometimes up to 48 hours without proper rest – led the Seremban-born doctor to experiment with methamphetamine to boost his energy levels.
“At that time, I was stressed (from work). I was introduced to methamphetamine and it was the booster I needed for long working hours,” he said.
Dr Sasitharan, realising that he was addicted and desiring a fresh start, voluntarily checked into Rumah Pengasih six years ago.
“However, I left Rumah Pengasih in 2017 because my father was ill. When I came out, it was difficult for me to adjust and within six months – coupled with depression after suffering relatives’ insults – I relapsed.
“Two months ago, I returned here (Rumah Pengasih) because I realised I needed help and a support system. I am still undergoing treatment and observation to ensure I don’t relapse again,” he said.
He said when he was addicted, he often had angry outbursts and sudden mood changes – to the extent his marriage was called off just 20 days before it was to take place.
Pengasih president Ramli Abd Samad said the perception that drug addicts only comprise school dropouts and those from unfavourable social backgrounds is wrong
He said there are many addicts who are highly educated and professionally trained.
“Previously, drugs were used for recreational purposes – to enjoy and be high at night clubs.
“But now, many people are using it for work purposes, such as to boost confidence while giving presentations and so on.
“This is because some modern drugs also can boost concentration and energy,” he said.
He added that anti-drug campaigns, which are meant to discourage people from experimenting with drugs, are outdated and no longer relevant to the current generation.
Right now, he said, Malaysia does not even have a helpline to offer support and advice for those who are trying to break free of addiction.
“For social problems such as depression and abuse, there are dedicated helplines – but for drug addicts, there is no support system.
“They (drug abusers) want to change but there is no strong support from family and society.
“The situation is getting complicated and drug users now are increasingly dangerous and violent. It is time for the country’s support system to help drug addicts in a more serious manner,” he said. – Bernama
Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/06/06/professionals-turning-to-drugs-due-to-stress/#FJuMGMJmpoOrPxy7.99
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3 June 2019
Jail-time a must for drug offenders, says lawyer
PETALING JAYA: A campaigner against drug abuse has come out in support of a jail sentence imposed on a 17-year-old drug addict who had been found guilty of having 1kg of ketum.
However, a criminal lawyer disagreed with the sentence. He said young offenders should only be required to undergo counselling and rehabilitation, not imprisonment.
The activist, Christina Teng, who is also a lawyer, said all drug-abuse victims should undergo counselling and rehabilitation, but punishment by imprisonment was still necessary as a deterrent.
She said the justice system showed more leniency for young offenders, and as a result young people were often used as mules by crime syndicates.
Teng said counselling and rehabilitation facilities should be provided for all prisons or youth correctional centres. “Unfortunately, is there budget and enough facilities to do that?” she said.
She said imprisonment would teach young offenders a lesson. “This kid will be out in less than nine months (given a one-third remission of his sentence for good behaviour), hopefully he can be rehabilitated while he’s in jail,” she said.
The bigger issue was how to combat the rise in the number of drug abuse cases. “Even privileged kids are taking drugs, as they can afford them,” she said. Measures such as better education, welfare and better community support for victims would be needed.
Teng said young people were easy prey. “Drugs come too easily. Our aim is to stop drug offences first. A gentle slap on the wrist won’t help. Punishment, rehab and counselling must all go together. But at present, prisons are struggling to house and care for all the inmates,” she said.
Former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan said young people addicted to drugs would often influence others.
Imprisonment would prevent a convicted youth from associating with other drug addicts thus making rehabilitation easier, he said.
However, criminal lawyer S N Nair, opposes imprisonment of young people.
Children have been recognised as a highly vulnerable category of persons, and many laws treated them differently from adults,. Such laws included the Child Act 2001, Children & Young Persons Act 1966, Juvenile Court Act 1947, and certain provisions in the Criminal Procedure Code and the Penal Code.
He said young offenders should be required to undergo “counselling and rehabilitation only” and no penal or custodial punishment should be imposed.
The 17-year-old jailed for ketum possession had achieved 7As at the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination. In an interview with Bernama, he said he regretted his actions, more so since he was an exemplary and excellent student at a secondary school in Kota Bahru, Kelantan.
He admitted that his predicament was his own doing, and had come through being lonely but finding companionship in five friends who had spoken to him.
“I saw them taking horse pills (ketamine) and consuming ketum water several times. At first, I did not follow them but my curiosity got the better of me and eventually, I was hooked and was willing to spend all my money to buy the stuff,” he said.
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weehingthong 