Funding should be allocated to capable non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to establish and operate drug rehabilitation facilities in Lawas as concerns mount over rising drug abuse in the northern Sarawak district.
Ba’Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian said Lawas, which has been identified as one of nine drug abuse red zones in Sarawak, urgently requires a dedicated rehabilitation response.
He said drug addiction in Lawas continued to be driven largely by social environment and peer influence, citing findings from a 2024 academic study on substance abuse patterns in the district.
“A 2024 study entitled Unravelling the Nexus: Social Environment and Peer Influence in Drug Abuse in Lawas, Sarawak by S.S. Bahar, published in the Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, concluded that social environment and peer influence are among the principal drivers of drug addiction in Lawas.
“The study further emphasised the need for comprehensive strategies encompassing prevention, education and rehabilitation support systems.
“Given the severity of the problem, there is an urgent need for a dedicated drug rehabilitation centre in Lawas,” he said.
He said in his debate speech on the motion of appreciation to the Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar’s address at the DUN Sitting today (May 13).
He said, currently, drug rehabilitation services for residents in Lawas are mainly channelled through the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) in Limbang or NGO-run centres further away such as Kenosis in Miri.
“Although the government has acknowledged the need to establish One Stop Centres for Addiction in identified red zones, including Lawas, no such facility has yet been established,” he said.
Baru stressed that although drug abuse cannot be fully eradicated, effective rehabilitation remains essential to help former addicts rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society.
“If there are no immediate plans to establish a rehabilitation centre in Lawas, funding should be provided to capable NGOs to develop and operate such facilities,” he said, adding that organisations like Kenosis have already demonstrated the capacity to run effective rehabilitation programmes with proper support.
