KUCHING: The Kuching North City Hall (DBKU) is stepping up its fight against drug abuse through community-based initiatives in collaboration with various agencies and by actively engaging residents.
DBKU Mayor Datuk Hilmy Othman stressed that strong community participation and consistent vigilance have become key defences against the spread of drug abuse within the city’s jurisdiction.
“DBKU’s approach is to engage the community and other NGOs in community activities, especially local residents in Kuching.
“To tackle what we all agree is society’s number one enemy, DBKU works hand in hand with the police, the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK), NGOs and more to keep our neighbourhoods safe,” he said.
He said this during the Kuching Car Free Morning Gawai Dayak Edition at Padang Merdeka here today (June 15).
As part of this strategy, he said that DBKU has established 54 Friendly Neighbourhood (KJM) throughout the city in collaboration with AADK, working alongside Kawasan Rukun Tetangga (KRT) and village security and development committees (JKKKs).
“These KJMs organise weekly activities for families, such as cooking contests, drawing competitions and other community programmes ensuring local communities stay engaged.
“The KJM initiative has proven effective in keeping residents occupied with positive community activities, leaving less room for undesirable behaviour to take root, especially among youths,” he said.
He added that the presence of these neighbourhood committees has significantly reduced areas that once served as drug hotspots.
“With our KJM network, any suspicious behaviour can be quickly reported to the authorities. This makes it difficult for illegal activities to go unnoticed or unchecked,” he added.
Meanwhile, AADK Sarawak director Abdul Hamediee Ibrahim said fighting drug abuse is a shared responsibility and cannot rest solely on enforcement agencies.
“Drug prevention is not just the job of AADK, the police, or young people alone. It must be holistic and involve everyone, because drug problems exist in our homes, our villages, and our communities.
“And yes, there are many ways the community can help. For example, take DBKU , they organised cycling programmes and the 10,000 steps programme which keeps people engaged in healthy activities.
“I also urge everyone: don’t just know about drug issues in your area — take responsibility! And report them to AADK, the police or any relevant agency,” he said.
