MACHANG: About 75 per cent of inmates in prisons nationwide are serving sentences for drug-related offences, with the proportion exceeding 90 per cent at Machang Prison, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
He said Malaysia had 41 prisons housing between 90,000 and 100,000 inmates, with drug-related offences accounting for the bulk of cases.
"Among the offences are those under Sections 15(1), 12(2) and 39 of the Dangerous Drugs Act," he told reporters after the Home Ministry's Kampung Angkat Madani and Sekolah Angkat Madani programmes at Sekolah Kebangsaan Jambu Lawar here today.
Saifuddin said Pengkalan Chepa Prison was the most overcrowded prison in the country
He said profiling of drug offenders showed that those aged between 15 and 39 remained the largest group involved in drug abuse, while the growing trend among children below 15 was also a cause for concern.
He said the trend required more comprehensive preventive measures, including early education and greater parental involvement to keep young people away from drugs.
"The National Anti-Drugs Agency (Nada) has three main functions — education and prevention, enforcement, and rehabilitation — to address drug abuse.
"Public education efforts must be strengthened to raise awareness and encourage families to take preventive action," he said.
On the Kampung Angkat Madani programme, Saifuddin said several projects had been implemented at Kampung Gosong to improve facilities and residents' well-being.
Upgrading works had been carried out at Surau Kampung Gosong and Masjid Bilal, including improvements to prayer areas, toilets, bathrooms, ablution facilities, public address systems and other interior amenities.
"Lighting has also been installed at the village cemetery after residents informed us that burials sometimes had to be carried out at night," he said.
He said 14 houses had also been upgraded through cooperation with Akademi Binaan Malaysia, involving 10 individuals supervised by the Prisons Department and Rela members.
Saifuddin said the Home Ministry's 11 agencies were allowed to select a school and a village each year under the programmes.
The initiative had been implemented for three consecutive years, covering 33 villages and 33 schools nationwide.
"This is something we are proud of at the Home Ministry. From the north to the south, including Sabah and Sarawak, we have reached villages selected based on their potential to bring significant added value to local communities," he said.
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