LETTER | Country's drug menace deserves number one priority

LETTER | In Malaysia a sexist remark or women's dress issue gains far more traction than the seriousness of the drug menace.

News reports that more than 90,000 have been held since January 2023 for drug offences indicate a serious and long-haul national crisis if we do not place drug war as our country's number one priority.

In just six months we have spotted 90,000 cases. And that includes 287 civil servants as was disclosed by the Narcotics squad director Kamarudin Din.

Consider what that number would be by the end of 2023. And consider that this is only what our agencies managed to track down. To state that there could be many, many more cases not pinned is not speculation.

News of drug laboratories in covet operations; using Malaysia as a conduit to move humongous amounts of drugs to destinations around the world; the easily available drugs at both up-market entertainment spots right up to the lorong and back lanes all across the country are not new.

The courts are also being overwhelmed with such cases not to mention the human capital resources committed to battle the menace.

A nation cannot be chasing after progress and development, if the nation's future is being undermined by the spreading and growing drug menace.

The seized assets belonging to drug operatives are only the tip of the iceberg.

In these past six months alone assets worth RM55.9 million have been confiscated in addition to RM5.3 million worth of properties forfeited.

And the confiscated range of drugs should clearly indicate how widespread drug addiction and the drug trade are in the country.

The “confiscated 10,016kg of various types of drugs, 1,604 litres of liquid drugs, 41,431kg of ketum leaves, 27,213 litres of ketum water and 20 ganja plants, with an estimated total street value of RM286 million” should rudely wake up anyone.

Unfortunately, our battle against drug addiction and its profitable, lucrative trade is being treated as one of the many things to do.

Our politicians are more gung-ho about seizing power even if it has to be through back doors or by riling up citizens along racial and religious sentiments of extremism.

We are chasing after progress and development without having the courage and honesty to acknowledge that the drug menace has undermined an entire nation and its people's future.

It is about time to come to terms that this long-neglected menace in past decades and our leaders' ability to sweep things under the carpet does not help the situation.

We need a national drive involving every citizen, every government agency, every civil servant, every business entity and professional organisation to join hands in the battle.

We need to place the war on drugs as our nation's immediate and number one goal and its success as the yardstick of good governance, capable leadership and patriotic citizenry.

If we think otherwise we will never uplift the nation to be a competitive, capable and wealthy success story.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.