Fatimah (second right) presents donations to the aid recipients during the event at Kampung Kolong. At second left is Sharifah Hasidah.
KUCHING: Issues relating to drug abuse are among the key factors behind the rise in domestic violence and other criminal cases, says Minister for Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah.
According to her, recent cases related to death of infants were associated with drug abuse.
She pointed this out as the solid reason why any issue associated with drug abuse must be given serious attention across all aspects – from distribution and addiction, up to recovery and rehabilitation.
“It is our responsibility to deal with this issue and under our Social Development Council, we use an integrated approach, from enforcement to distribution. The focus is also on the recovery of drug addicts and we encourage addicts to seek recovery voluntarily,” she told reporters when met after the launch of Tupong Women’s Welfare Association at Kampung Kolong Hall off Jalan Matang near here yesterday, where Assistant Minister of Law, State-Federal Relations and Project Monitoring Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali was also present.
On the recent accident involving an ambulance that was transporting a pregnant woman, Fatimah still viewed it as ‘a horrible incident’, despite it having no casualty.
It is reported that the woman had safely delivered a baby boy a day after the accident, which occurred on Tuesday.
The ambulance that she was on board, turned to its side after it was hit by a car at a section of Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce here.
In this respect, Fatimah said such incidents should not have happened as they involve special-purpose vehicles like ambulances and fire trucks, which travel with blaring sirens during an emergency.
“The sound of ambulance or fire truck’s siren indicates emergency – other road users should give way.
“This thing is also learnt when one wants to obtain a driving licence.
“All drivers must be more sensitive to the presence of ambulances, and to make way or slow down their vehicles upon seeing one,” she said.