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Narcotics use among civil servants still low, says Malaysia’s drug czar

National Anti-Drug Agency (Nada) director-general Datuk Seri Zulkifli Abdullah (centre), accompanied by Johor deputy police chief Datuk Khaw Kok Chin (second left) and Johor Baru Utara district police chief Assistant Commissioner Rupiah Abd Wahid (left) officiating the Johor Baru North district police headquarters in Johor Baru December 1, 2020. — Picture by Ben Tan

JOHOR BARU, Dec 1 — The number of civil servants nationwide involved in illicit drug use was still low and under control, said the National Anti Drug Agency (NADA).

NADA director-general Datuk Seri Zulkifli Abdullah said civil servants who consume drugs are typically in their 20s to 30s, with amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) the most commonly abused synthetic drug.

He said that last year, just 468 of the country’s 1.6 million civil servants were caught for drug use.

“Among the main reasons civil servants consume drugs is not because of work-related stress, but because of friends, including those who wanted to try it,” said Zulkifli in a press conference after officiating the Johor Baru North district police headquarters here today.

Present was Johor deputy police chief Datuk Khaw Kok Chin, Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) deputy director Datuk Kamarulzaman Mamat and Johor Baru Utara district police chief Assistant Commissioner Rupiah Abd Wahid.

Zulkifli also advised all government departments and agencies to seek NADA’s services to deliver awareness modules for their workplace that were aimed at tackling drug abuse among civil servants.

He went on to say that there were 12 high-risk drug abuse areas placed as red zones under the previous NADA pilot project model.

The former Bukit Aman director said nine of these have been successfully converted to green zones and the remaining three — Langkawi (Kedah), Petaling Jaya South (Selangor) and Pengkalan Chepa (Kelantan) — have also been downgraded to yellow zones.

He explained that the three areas involved which were previously declared as red zones are .

Zulkifli said Parit Sulong (Batu Pahat) and Taman Perling, Skudai and Tampoi (Johor Baru), which were previously declared as yellow zones, were now green zones after drug activities in them were successfully controlled.

He said the pilot project involving 15 agencies will end this year and NADA will find a model that will be adopted for 155 high-risk areas nationwide next year.

“The 12 areas became a pilot project in an effort to eradicate drug abuse to achieve the goal of Controlled Drugs 2025.

“A total of 12 areas are experimental and pilot projects, this is because each area is different. For example, the situation in Felda or the village is not the same,” said Zulkifli.

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