Pubdate: Sat, 24 Sep 2005
Source: Daily Express (Malaysia)
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Copyright: 2005 Daily Express
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Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3635
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MANY CASES OF ADDICTS HELD BUT RELEASED

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
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