BY TANIA LAM & CRYSTAL WONG
KUCHING: The Drug Prevention Association of Malaysia (Pemadam) Sarawak will be organising more programmes, activities, and trainings at various districts and divisions aimed at increasing public awareness.
Pemadam Sarawak chairman Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said a ‘Drug Prevention Education Programme 2021’ will be held in Padawan in collaboration with SMK Padawan’s guidance and counselling unit this month.
“At the end of March, we will have ‘Program Mari Bersama Perangi Salahguna Dadah’ (Let’s Fight Drug Abuse Together Programme) in conjunction with National Anti-Drug Day 2021.
“Among the activities are ‘Pertandingan Mereka Cipta Poster Digital Anti Dadah 2021’ (Anti-Drug Digital Poster Design Competition 2021),” he said, adding that this programme is co-organised with SMK Batu Kawa’s co-curriculum unit and 500 students from Form 1 to 6 would be involved.
He said their approach was targeted towards school students as the association aimed to inculcate awareness from a young age.
“In April, we will have ‘Program Pendidikan Pencegahan Dadah – Utama Keluarga Bahagia Tanpa Dadah Sepanjang Pandemik Covid-19’ (Drug Prevention Education Programme – Happy Families Without Drugs Throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic),” he said during a press conference here today, after chairing Pemadam Sarawak meeting.
He said the programme would be held in collaboration with SK Dato Mohd Musa’s guidance and counselling unit in Samarahan and about 500 students would be involved.
Abdul Karim, who is also Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister, said there would also be ‘Aktiviti e-Pendidikan Pencegahan Dadah’ (Drug Prevention e-Education Activity) at SMK Lubok Antu in April, involving about 500 students.
“Besides that, Pemadam Sarawak is also planning to have several attractive events including ‘Pertandingan e-Sports Pemadam’ (Pemadam e-Sports Competition) with the cooperation of Sarawak E-Sports Association (Sesa).
“We will also hold ‘Kursus Musabaqah Belia Pemadam’ (Pemadam Youth Musabaqah Course), ‘Jerayawara Pemadam’, ‘Fun Ride (Cycling)’, and many more,” he said.
The Youth and Sports Minister assured that the programmes would comply with all standard operating procedures (SOPs).
“Although we are still experiencing the Covid-19 pandemic, we will try to organise hybrid programmes if we cannot hold physical ones. We can use Zoom and virtual means to create awareness,” he said.
He said Pemadam Sarawak would also channel RM1,000 to every secondary school in the state to organise drug awareness programmes.
Pemadam had also launched its very own website, adding that they would also utilise social media platforms to reach out to the community and make their presence known.
At the same time, Pemadam Sarawak has also set up its Women Bureau; Religion Bureau; Financial, Volunteer Leadership, and Training Bureau; School Prevention Education Bureau; Advanced Care, Cure, and Workplace Bureau; and Information, Broadcasting, Public Relations, and Publications Bureau.
During the ceremony, he presented letters of appointment to chairpersons of the six bureaux under Pemadam Sarawak.
Present was Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Law, State-Federal Relationship and Project Monitoring) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, who is also Pemadam Sarawak vice-chairperson, and other representatives.
