(Kuala Lumpur, 6th) The Director-General of the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK), Datuk Ruslin, said that 22 rehab participants at rehabilitation centers (PUSPEN) achieved passing results in the 2025 Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) examination.
He told Bernama recently that this proves dropping out of school due to drug use is not the end of the road for rehab participants to achieve good results and that the National Anti-Drug Agency has always been committed to assisting this group through the Educational Opportunity Program for Rehab Participants (PAPK).
"A total of 27 rehab participants sat for the 2025 SPM examination, of which 20 were from Kedah Karangan PUSPEN, 6 from Sabah Papar PUSPEN, and 1 from Selangor Sungai Buloh PUSPEN."
"Of these, 22 passed the examination and qualified for the SPM certificate, achieving a passing rate of 81.5%."
Ruslin said the Educational Opportunity Program for Rehab Participants is a formal education initiative implemented by the National Anti-Drug Agency under the “in-institution treatment and rehabilitation” model. This program provides a second chance for rehab participants who are still of school age or who dropped out due to drug use.
He explained that the program not only focuses on rehabilitation but also values academics. Rehab participants will sit for six main SPM subjects, namely Malay Language, English, Science, Mathematics, History, and Islamic or Moral Education.
"The implementation of this program is the result of a strategic collaboration between the National Anti-Drug Agency and the Ministry of Education. Rehab participants at PUSPEN follow a systematic class timetable similar to a regular school environment, with teaching staff comprising experienced and well-trained teachers as well as officers from the District Education Office (PPD)."
Ruslin mentioned that the ultimate goal of the Educational Opportunity Program for Rehab Participants is not just to pass exams, but to provide a platform for long-term rehabilitation — including encouraging those who pass their exams to pursue further education in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
"Additionally, the program also provides rehab participants with opportunities to apply for further studies in colleges or universities to secure their career prospects and dispel the bias that drug users have no academic future, thus boosting their confidence to reintegrate into society."
He also said that the results of the program have proven successful in raising the education level of rehab participants — for example, in 2023, some participants were illiterate when they first entered PUSPEN, but through the guidance of this program, they ultimately succeeded in passing the SPM examination.