KUCHING: Sarawakians can be happy with the results of a new survey and reclassification carried out by the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK).
The state used to have seven ‘Red Zones’ where drug abuse was rampant and at a dangerous level.
The zones have been reclassified with Gita and Sri Aman reclassified as green zones and the remaining five, namelySamarahan, Bandar Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu and Mirireclassified as ‘Yellow Zones’.
A ‘Red Zone’ classification indicates that the drug abuse and distribution in the said area is at a dangerous point. This high risk areawill attract heavy monitoring and attention of the authorities.
AADK Director General Datuk Seri Zulkifli Abdullah who was on a working visit here met with reporters at the site of its new Cure and Care Rehabilitation Centre (CCRC) in Puncak Borneo yesterday.
He said Sarawak was among the states with the lowest number of drug addicts in the country.There were a total of 5,345 addicts.
Zulkifli explained that the classifications were reflective of the good cooperation and working relations with the Sarawak government.
“All this is part of an ongoing commitment on our (AADK) part to reduce drug abuse in the country,” he told a press conference.
Part of the process of the war on drugs is preventive and pre-emptive measures. On the new facility, Zulkifli said it had the capacity to take in 250 inmates and would be replacing the rehabilitation centre at the 6th Mile Kuching-Serian Road, which could only accommodate 150 inmates. The current facility is said to be overcrowded, forcing the government to fork out large sums to transfer cases to Peninsular Malaysia for the rehabilitation process.
The new centre at Puncak Borneo is being built at a cost of RM25.8 million and is expected to be ready by April 19 2020. The site completion was delayed due to the termination of its original contractor by JKR in April 2018.
