FORCES MUST STOP DRUGS COMING INTO SABAH: MUSA

SECURITY forces, including police and enforcement agencies like
Customs must boost surveillance at entry and exit points to stop drug
smuggling into the State, CM Datuk Seri Musa said.

He said Sabah was facing problem with the drug menace and most of the
supplies were believed to be smuggled in from neighbouring countries.
State Youth, Sports and Culture Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun had
earlier identified Filipinos as a source of the State's Syabu problem.

Speaking after launching the "Youths Hate Drugs" programme at Padang
Merdeka, Sunday, Musa said patrols needs to be stepped up in the
State's waters to curb drug smuggling.

"Drugs are our main enemy. So we must take the effort to fight it and
public cooperation and concerted efforts from all parties are needed
to eradicate the menace in the State," he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysia Youth Council (MYC) President, Datuk Mohd Khir
Toyo said a mechanism to temporarily isolate ex-drug addicts from the
society after rehabilitation must be put in place.

He said statistics showed that just one ex-drug addict could influence
at least five of his peers to pick the habit. "By isolating them, the
country's aim to become drug-free by 2015 could be realised," said
Khir, who is Selangor Menteri Besar.

Towards this end, he said an awareness centre should also be
established for former addicts to prevent them from going back to
their old habit.

"We hope the Government will be able to build awareness centres, which
should be two-layered with the first under the Federal and second the
State Government," he said.

He added it was timely that the fight against drug be an agenda of the
people, especially local community leaders like the village
development and security committee (JKKK).

"Don't just talk about bridges and others but forget about creating
awareness (among former addicts). If not, it will continue to grow
into a bigger problem," he said, adding that such directives had been
issued in a recent meeting for JKKKs and NGOs.

Khir called on the mosque and surau committees to get closer to former
addicts and provide them with necessary guidance to get them to the
right path.

The community would be safer when only those who had truly been
rehabilitated are returned, he said, adding that of the 32,808 addicts
detected in the country last year 15,389 of them or 47 per cent were
new addicts.

It was also worrying, he said that of about 289,000 drug addicts
detected between 1988 and 2005 more than 60,000 were infected with
AIDS and HIV.

In this respect, the fight against drug was more crucial since it also
involved the families of addicts who could be infected with AIDS and
to other people through blood transfusions among others.

"We can no longer afford to do this in a conventional way3f we can
eliminate communists we can eliminate drugs," he said.

However, he said all quarters need to set its sight on a common target
group and not to continue blaming those already involved in drug
addiction as it would not solve the problem at all.

Later, Khir together with other leaders accompanied Musa in a symbolic
ceremony set light to a stash of drugs to launch the State-level
"Youths Hate Drug" programme organised by the Sabah Youth Council (SYC).

Also present at the launching were State Inspector of Project Datuk
Lajim Haji Ukin who is the SYC president, State Assembly Speaker Datuk
Juhar Haji Mahiruddin, State Ministers, Assistant Ministers, Exco
members of MYC and SYC.