KUCHING: The proposal to make Sarawak a pilot location for a drug intervention programme involving various government agencies will be brought up to the State Cabinet.
Minister for Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah, said the proposal should be carefully studied through discussions involving various government agencies.
She added that the proposal also emphasised that any pilot programme should be implemented in stages, and in a controlled, evidence-based manner, with clear monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in place.
“Following the briefing and input at our One Stop Committee addressing drugs and substance issues (OSC-MIDS), we found that there is a need to bring this matter, including the proposal to conduct a study on a pilot drug policy programme, to the Cabinet level.
“As it also involves security issues, it is appropriate for the matter to be brought to the Cabinet. Security is something we take very seriously because we want to ensure that Sarawak remains safe and stable.
“Therefore, any action related to security issues needs to be discussed and receive the green light from the Cabinet, especially when it involves existing laws,” she said during a press conference after a briefing of the OSC-MIDS at Baitulmakmur Building II today.
The pilot programme serves as a platform to identify actual challenges in implementation on the ground, test the effectiveness of intervention mechanisms and inter-agency coordination, as well as gather local evidence before any expansion or major policy changes are considered.
The approach would allow the relevant agencies and stakeholders to assess the programme’s effectiveness and identify areas requiring improvement before deciding on a wider implementation.
“However, there are always positive aspects to consider. We see merit in the model presented earlier.
“But at the same time, we need to examine how the model can be applied within the existing framework, where there are already clear laws governing the issue we are discussing, namely drug abuse,” she said.
Fatimah added that if a pilot programme is implemented, the model developed must take into account Malaysia’s legal framework, administrative structure, demographics, culture, geography, and the social conditions of Sarawak’s communities.
The pilot programme would provide an opportunity to develop a model that is truly suited to the local context before considering implementation on a wider scale.
For the period from January to July 2026, a total of 7,070 enforcement operations were conducted by the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department, Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) and the Sarawak National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK).
The operations resulted in 9,554 arrests, comprising 456 cases involving drug trafficking, 1,760 cases involving possession of drugs and substances, and 7,338 individuals who tested positive for drugs through urine screening.
To prevent those involved from continuing to abuse drugs and substances, MIDS will focuses on intervention measures involving treatment and rehabilitation.
As of July 31, 2026, a total of 4,690 individuals had been recorded as undergoing treatment and rehabilitation.
She added that the proposal also emphasised that any pilot programme should be implemented in stages, and in a controlled, evidence-based manner, with clear monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in place.
“Following the briefing and input at our One Stop Committee addressing drugs and substance issues (OSC-MIDS), we found that there is a need to bring this matter, including the proposal to conduct a study on a pilot drug policy programme, to the Cabinet level.
“As it also involves security issues, it is appropriate for the matter to be brought to the Cabinet. Security is something we take very seriously because we want to ensure that Sarawak remains safe and stable.
“Therefore, any action related to security issues needs to be discussed and receive the green light from the Cabinet, especially when it involves existing laws,” she said during a press conference after a briefing of the OSC-MIDS at Baitulmakmur Building II today.
The pilot programme serves as a platform to identify actual challenges in implementation on the ground, test the effectiveness of intervention mechanisms and inter-agency coordination, as well as gather local evidence before any expansion or major policy changes are considered.
The approach would allow the relevant agencies and stakeholders to assess the programme’s effectiveness and identify areas requiring improvement before deciding on a wider implementation.
“However, there are always positive aspects to consider. We see merit in the model presented earlier.
“But at the same time, we need to examine how the model can be applied within the existing framework, where there are already clear laws governing the issue we are discussing, namely drug abuse,” she said.
Fatimah added that if a pilot programme is implemented, the model developed must take into account Malaysia’s legal framework, administrative structure, demographics, culture, geography, and the social conditions of Sarawak’s communities.
The pilot programme would provide an opportunity to develop a model that is truly suited to the local context before considering implementation on a wider scale.
For the period from January to July 2026, a total of 7,070 enforcement operations were conducted by the Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department, Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) and the Sarawak National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK).
The operations resulted in 9,554 arrests, comprising 456 cases involving drug trafficking, 1,760 cases involving possession of drugs and substances, and 7,338 individuals who tested positive for drugs through urine screening.
To prevent those involved from continuing to abuse drugs and substances, MIDS will focuses on intervention measures involving treatment and rehabilitation.
As of July 31, 2026, a total of 4,690 individuals had been recorded as undergoing treatment and rehabilitation.