Association plays its part to rehabilitate addicts, prisoners
SRI AMAN: Community Wellbeing Assistant Minister Datuk Francis Harden Hollis has praised the Sri Aman Buddhist Association for helping to rehabilitate prisoners, including drug addicts.
He gave the association a pat on the back during the opening of the Malaysia Prison Dharma Teaching Course at the association’s lecture hall here yesterday.
The aims of the course were to teach volunteers how to engage with the detainees in prison and expose the participants to the rules and laws in prison.
Twenty-three Buddhist volunteers attended the course which was taught by nine qualified speakers from Peninsular Malaysia.
Francis, who is also Simanggang assemblyman, said the teaching of Buddhist Dharma would help make the prisoners and drug addicts aware of their mistakes and, at the same time, guide them to a better lifestyle.
At the same time, he approved an allocation of RM6,000 for the association to run its activities next year.
More non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have been urged to assist in the rehabilitation of drug addicts who are in jail.
