Drugs abuse rampant but ‘no flesh trade’

0

LAWAS: Drug abuse and trafficking in Lawas is at such a critical stage that it warranted a call from Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) deputy president Dundang Bantin for serious action.

A report by BAT6 published on June 30 highlighted the rampant drug abuse that has even penetrated into secondary schools as drug pushers enlist students to push drugs to their school mates.

An informed source said syabu or commonly known as “ice” is sold at RM50 per straw and it is very popular among the students.

In a statement made available to BAT6, Dundang said: “Drugs is indeed a critical problem in Lawas nowadays, not only a heartache to parents, but teachers too.

I hope the relevant authorities are serious about taking steps to curb this scourge.

“I am proud to say I have played my father’s role well, as none of my sons are involved in drugs, but I cannot guarantee the future of my grandchildren or the Lun Bawang generation as a whole.

“I was shocked to know that a few of our youngsters were arrested and jailed in Long Bawang (Indonesia), a small rural town at the Sarawak Kalimantan border.

“Why were they not caught in Lawas?” Dundang said he personally felt there are loopholes in addressing this menace.

“Lawas is not a big town and everybody knows everybody.

Drastic measures need to be taken fast before this problem spirals out of control and eventually our peaceful town will be a home of drug cartels.

“I also hope community leaders will be bold enough to play their role and come out with an actionplan to solve this problem, instead of leaving the task entirely to the police,” Dundang said.

However, on the other vices reported by BAT6 on prostitution which involved divorced women from the highland (no race mentioned), Dundang strongly denied the Lun Bawang women were involved in prostitution.

“This is a negative message, especially to outsiders.

As I far as I know, Lawas does not have a brothel where our women peddle the fl esh trade.

“This is indeed a humiliating report.

I cannot deny that there may be marital affairs here and there, but that does not necessarily involve divorced or unmarried women,” said Dundang.

BAT6 called its informant who stood by his statement that there is prostitution in Lawas but admitted he was unsure on the scale of the fl esh trade.