Ex-addict with disability now a successful entrepreneur

PASIR MAS: Choosing to make friends with the wrong type of people 20 years ago made life for Ali (not his real name) miserable.
 
His life changed in the blink of an eye when he got involved in drug abuse at the prompting of his so-called friends.
 
Through his friends, Ali, who is also visually impaired, was introduced to pil kuda or Ya Ba (methamphetamine).
 
Hailing from Mukim Kubang Sepat, Ali was 24 then and was working as a construction worker.
 
“I started to take pil kuda when my friends influenced me to try them, and I used my own money to buy the drug, which was sold at RM10 for a pill.
 
“I was willing to spend a lot of money to support my addiction. It ruined my life and brought shame to my family,” he said when met by Bernama here today.
 
Ali went on to say that he was arrested by the police in 2020 under Section 38B of the Dangerous Drugs Act, which required him to undertake the Institutional Treatment and Rehabilitation Programme (RPDI) for two to three years.
 
While undergoing treatment, he became remorseful and wanted to change, which then prompted him to do some self-discovery.
 
“After I was released from the Kota Bharu Narcotics Addiction Rehabilitation Centre (Puspen), I took over the crops that my mother had planted on a 1.21-hectare plot near the Sungai Kelantan by planting fruits and vegetables, namely watermelons, corn, cucumbers, and eggplants.
 
“Alhamdulillah, the response has been very good, and I am able to collect a net income of about RM7,000 a season (two to three months),” said Ali, who is also being assisted by two workers.
 
He also said that through hard work, his effort did not go unnoticed when the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) and the Kemubu Agricultural Development Authority (KADA) helped him grow the plants.
 
“I feel extremely proud and thankful to the government for not sidelining former addicts like me; in fact, they even offered assistance and help.
 
“I urge all former addicts to make that change for a brighter future, look for the opportunities that the government is giving us, and never feel that we are not accepted by society. Believe me, there is nothing good about abusing drugs,” he added. – BERNAMA