KUCHING: The Ministry of Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development (KPWK) welcomes the strong commitment of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) Sarawak in focusing on efforts to combat drug and substance abuse in the state.

KPWK Minister, Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said the focus is in line with one of the 13 major social issues prioritised by the ministry, which is addressing drug and substance abuse.

“We are very happy that the Sarawak Police Commissioner has placed high emphasis on drug and substance issues in Sarawak.

"This is one of the main focuses of the Ministry,” she said when met by the media during a courtesy call from Sarawak Police Commissioner, Datuk Mohamad Zainal Abdullah here on Tuesday.

She also congratulated Datuk Mohamad Zainal on his appointment as Sarawak Police Commissioner, and described the move to set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for District Police Chiefs as a proactive approach in ensuring the effectiveness of enforcement at the grassroots level.

“I know that Datuk Mohamad Zainal has set KPIs for Police Chiefs down to the district level to ensure that arrests of individuals involved in drug abuse or trafficking continue to be implemented firmly,” she explained.

According to Dato Sri Fatimah, KPWK appreciates the close relationship and strategic cooperation with PDRM which not only focuses on drug issues, but also encompasses various other social aspects including domestic violence, teenage pregnancy, and abuse of women and children.

“We hope that the good relationship between the Ministry and PDRM will continue to be strengthened under the new leadership to ensure the wellbeing of Sarawak continues to be preserved,” she said.

Also present were the KPWK Deputy Minister, Datuk Rosey Yunus, KPWK Permanent Secretary, Datu Felicia Tan Ya Hua and other guests. -UKASnews