Drugs ruin Lawas’ reputation as ‘northern gateway’

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Lawas, although a beautiful and booming town, is known for its various vices such as drug abuse, prostitution, cyber gambling and smuggling.

Lawas, although a beautiful and booming town, is known for its various vices such as drug abuse, prostitution, cyber gambling and smuggling.

LAWAS: Drug abuse, one of vices besetting the ‘northern gateway, is a major headache faced by the authorities here.

According to a reliable source, besides drug abuse, other major vices were prostitution, cyber gambling, smuggling, illegal immigrants and theft.

He said Lawas was a major ‘gateway’ for drugs smuggled into Sarawak from Sabah.

“My own son is a drug addict. I have bailed him out a few times. The latest case happened only two weeks ago but I refused to pay. However, he was bailed out by someone whom I do not know,” the source told BAT6 here yesterday.

The source actually refused to comment but after an assurance from BAT6 that his name would not be exposed, he was willing to be interviewed.

According to him, the drugs-related problem here now even penetrated secondary schools as the drug pushers even asked the students to sell the drugs to their school mates.

“I heard from my son syabu or common known as ‘ice’ by the locals is sold RM50 per straw and it is very popular among the students,” he said.

He hoped the higher authority in the police force would allow their officers to be stationed here for only two years.

“I don’t want to point finger at anybody. But suffice for me to recommend that police officers with the rank of inspector and above be stationed here not more than two years to minimise them from getting ‘rooted’ here thereby they would not be able to enforce the law effectively.”

The source also revealed that the majority of drug addicts here were unemployed youths and thus would be involved in petty thefts to sustain their lifestyle.

“You can imagine for yourself that if they don’t have any money, then they would steal. Before, we were able to say that Lawas was a safe town. But now, even my LPG cylinder could just disappear from the kitchen. This is how Lawas has turned into.”

Besides drugs, Lawas was also associated with prostitution, the source added.

“Actually, I don’t want to say negative thing about our people. But that’s the reality. Most of prostitutes here come from the highlands and almost all of them are divorced women.”

Lawas is also a well-known den for cyber gambling.

“My son admitted to me that he is always working for the cyber gambling outlets. I would say the situation is very bad,” he said.

According to the source again, those who earned big bucks were those involved in smuggling activities – ranging from vehicles to cigarettes and liquor.

“Our border with Kalimantan is very porous. Vehicles, especially four-wheel drive vehicles, are easily smuggled from here and Sabah, and would end up at Long Bawang, which is easily accessible through Ba Kelalan,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lawas District Officer Husssaini Hakim admitted that the drug menace was quite rampant here.

“We are all working towards ‘zero’ drug abuse in Lawas town. Towards this end, we have been ‘engaging’ with the youths, students and their parents, teachers, councillors and community leaders on the danger of drugs.”

Hussaini said the authorities had been working closely together to curb the drug menace but it would take everyone’s efforts to minimise it.

“We hope the enforcement authorities, especially the police, will continue their efforts to rid this town of the dreaded disease to achieve our aim in making Lawas as an important ‘northern gateway’ to Sabah,” he added.