Kota Kinabalu: There have been many cases of dadah addicts arrested but being released without being charged, a seminar on the Role of Women in Combating Dadah here was told.Chairman of Pemadam Kota Kinabalu City, Dr Chua Kim Hing, attributed this to the inability to test blood samples and verify the results speedily.
"In accordance with the procedure, a blood sample from anyone suspected of being an addict needs to be tested and confirmed by a government doctor with the use of a special machine. Unfortunately, in Kota Kinabalu, there is only one such machine at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital," he lamented.
Dr Chua, who is Director-General of City Hall (DBKK), said the request for more such equipment to help nail addicts was one of the five proposals made by Sabah Pemadam during the recent National Pemadam Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Ipoh.
He repeated his fourth proposal to the National Anti-Dadah Agency (Nada) to provide some allocation to the KK City-level Dadah Eradication Action Council, which was set up in March this year.
Dr Chua, who attended the Asian Cities Against Drug (ASCAD) Conference in the Philippines last week, was happy to note that State Secretary Datuk KY Mustafa had taken up the third proposal to conduct random urine tests on members of the State Civil Service.
The first proposal from Sabah Pemadam was to set up a special task force in black areas, entrusted with carrying out major operations in the long term such as arresting those who distribute and sell dadah.
"As in the case of illegals, police must be assisted by relevant agencies such as Rela, Customs and Excise Department, Marine Department and Road Transport Department, among others."
In the second proposal, Dr Chua said Sabah Pemadam wants government departments and agencies to be empowered to arrest addicts and be equipped with the necessary equipment to detect dadah including the use of tracking dogs.
"Roadblocks must be put up in critical areas in Tawau and Sandakan to detect the presence of drugs, and not just for checking on road tax or driving-licence.
"We must be serious in our efforts to eliminate dadah abuse. If we carry out all these measures round-the-clock every day, no one will escape from such checks."
He contended that with strict surveillance on air, land and sea routes, it would be difficult for drugs to enter the country.
"As such, when there is no supply, there will be no market, and without vendors, there will be no buyers."
Dr Chua said the seminar, the second to be organised, was in response to Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman's call for a concerted effort by women to wage war on women drug addiction during a special meeting with women politicians and leaders of women NGOs earlier this year.
