KUCHING: The One-Stop Committee (OSC) will collaborate with the State Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (JSJN) to reduce drug abuse cases and cut the chain in the state.
Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah revealed that the courtesy visit by JSJN state chief ACP Jasmirol Jamaluddin was to discuss an integrated and strategic collaboration through the State Social Development Council (MPS) in dealing with drug and substance abuse.
“To ensure that issues related to drug and substance abuse in the state is addressed, the ministry is collaborating and coordinating strategic interventions with relevant stakeholders and strategic partners — both enforcement and non-enforcement.
“By focusing on both enforcement and non-enforcement, the ministry is confident that the related issues could be approached holistically and minimised effectively,” she said at a press conference after the courtesy visit yesterday.
Besides that, Fatimah also stated that OSC, through ‘Menangani Isu Dadah dan Sustance’ (MIDS), would also further collaborate with enforcement agencies such as Maritime, Immigration and Customs, and others.
“The committee and the agencies will tackle from the beginning until the end — from arrest, remand, charge until intervention, as the main focus is to find the sellers and suppliers of drugs to break the chain,” she stated.
There are currently 28 districts that have established OSC, with 12 others to follow in October.
“The number of arrests for drug abuse in the state for January to May this year is 4,009, compared to 8,506 arrests in 2019.
“However, it’s a concern to see that out of 4,009 arrests this year, 1,011 arrests were of suspects aged 19 to 24, compared to 2,021 arrests in 2019,” she said.
Fatimah also expressed her concern about arrests made of suspects below the age of 18, with 272 arrests made this year compared to 546 in 2019.
“As such, the strengthening of the OSC governance machinery and structure at the state and regional levels has a positive impact on the results of various operations and interventions.
“Among the significant impacts are the increase in the number of arrests in the state, as well as the integrated awareness, prevention and intervention programmes,” she added.
Also present was Assistant Community Wellbeing Minister Datuk Francis Harden Hollis, ministry’s permanent secretary Dr Saadiah Abdul Samat, State JSJN deputy chief Supt Wong Leong Meng and officer DSP Tumar Lunya.
