By Suhaila Shahrul Annuar
SHAH ALAM, July 5 — Special education on the dangers of drug abuse and addiction needs to be included in the school syllabus, suggested Gombak MP Dato' Seri Amirudin Shari.
He said this is because education is a major factor in an individual's involvement in drug abuse.
“Recent figures from the National Anti-Drugs Agency found that 83,000 out of 145,000 drug addicts last year were recorded to have Penilaian Menengah Rendah education levels and below.
[caption id="attachment_326029" align="alignleft" width="399"]
Gombak MP cum Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari debates the 12th Malaysia Plan Mid-Term Review in the Dewan Rakyat, at Parliament, Kuala Lumpur, on September 13, 2023. — Picture by BERNAMA[/caption]
“Therefore, I hope that the syllabus on drug addiction can start to be included at the school level so we can carry out prevention more widely,” Amirudin said.
The Selangor Menteri Besar was speaking during the debate on the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) (Amendment) Bill 2024 in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
In his capacity as chairman of the Malaysian Drug Prevention Association's Selangor chapter, he said the issue of drug addiction and abuse is one that greatly concerns him.
“We see the consequences of drug issues not only as addiction and abuse but also dragging these addicts into other crimes like murder, robbery, and theft,” Amirudin said.
Therefore, he believes that a community approach to involvement in tackling drug abuse is very important.
In addition, rehabilitation efforts must be coordinated since various approaches, including spiritual, psychological, and medical methods, are used by different rehabilitation centres.
“The role of all parties, including the community, society, parents, and families, is important, especially in the continuation after the rehabilitation process for children involved with drugs,” Amirudin said.
