Ahmad Yussof (seated, centre) with Aisyah, teachers and students during the programme.
SANDAKAN: Participants of the Intelek Asuhan Rohani (PINTAR) program should play a role as the agents to spread information on anti-drugs education to their friends at school, and their family members.
Head of Human Development Unit of Sandakan District Education Officer, Ahmad Yussof Mohamad said that the issue of drug abuse has now become a threat to the safety and social stability of the country since dangerous drugs was announced the country’s number one enemy on February 19, 1983, by the Prime Minister at the time.
Since then, various programmes have been conducted to curb drug abuse without using force, but through education in drug eradication.
Ahmad said this when launching the closing ceremony of the PINTAR camp organised by the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) Sandakan district level in Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Agama Tun Juhar, here, recently.
He said that the PINTAR programme and ‘Sayangi Hidup Elak dadah Selamanya’ (SHIELDS) are among programmes initiated under AADK with the Education Ministry and other related agencies and departments in implementing the ‘Perangi Dadah Habis-habisan’ program.
Ahmad explained that the participants of the PINTAR program focused on leaders among primary school pupils, while SHIELDS was aimed at ‘risky’ secondary school students.
He also advised the participants and all students not to be influenced by drug abuse and stay away from cigarettes and vape.
A total of 44 students from nine primary schools around Sandakan district attended the three-day-programme which provides exposure to information on the dangers of drugs to an individual, families, the community, and the country.
The programme also aims to strengthen the identity of the students so that they would become stronger in facing various challenges in the globalised era, and always try their best to avoid drugs.
The nine schools involved in the programme were: Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Gas, SK Karamunting, SK Sri Tanjung Papat 2, SK Sg Anib 1, SK Muhibbah, SK Mawar, SRK Sung Siew, SK Batu Putih Baru and SK Sibugal Besar, Sandakan.
Also present was AADK Sandakan Officer, Aisyah Abd Karim, and teachers of the schools involved.