SIBU: The Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) calls for more effective efforts to fight drug addiction through treatment and rehabilitation, education and prevention.
MCPF vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye in making the call yesterday, said if the drug menace in our society could be eradicated, the crime rate would definitely decline.
“It is an undeniable fact that drugs and crimes are inter-related. As such, we need to ensure that there are more effective efforts to fight drug addiction through treatment and rehabilitation, education and prevention.
“Drug dependence can also be eradicated through appropriate medical treatment. If the drug menace in our society can be eradicated, the crime rate will definitely decline,” Lee said in a press statement made available here.
To prevent rehabilitated drug addicts from going back to drugs, he urged the government to initiate a clear cut policy to help train and provide them with employment just as it had a policy on employment for disabled persons.
“Providing employment to rehabilitated drug addicts to keep them away from crime is essential as this has been identified as one of primary causes of snatch thefts and other petty crimes in the country.”
He noticed that drug addicts who had successfully undergone drug rehabilitation needed to be assisted to eke out an existence.
“I therefore, suggest to the government and the private sector to look into the employment of rehabilitated drug addicts and help them to be reintegrated into society so that they can settle down and do not have to live a life of crime. The government should consider a special scheme to help them through retraining and placing them in suitable jobs,” Lee suggested.
Meanwhile, he said while the various initiatives undertaken to reduce crime were very encouraging, what was most essential was to address the negative public perception towards police efforts in reducing crime and to secure a public buy-in on the reduced crime statistics.
“Malaysians have been told that since the implementation of the various initiatives under the Crime National Key Result Area (NKRA) street crime have been reduced as much as 40 per cent while reported index crime had gone down by 15 per cent.
“One effective way to improve public perception is for our police force to redouble their efforts and commitment to fight crime without fear or favour, enhance efficiency while developing closer rapport with the public and earning their trust and confidence, at the same time.
“The deployment of more police personnel on our streets to enhance friendly interaction with the public will help in this objective,” Lee said.