PETALING JAYA: The Education Ministry will cooperate with the authorities in a bid to fight the new tactic used by drug pushers and addicts who are targeting school-going teenagers.
Deputy Education Minister Lim Hui Ying said the ministry was still waiting for a full report on the matter.
"We will give full cooperation to the police as we want to make sure our children are free of this (drugs)," she said briefly at a press conference at Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) Starling Mall here today.
She said this after launching a nationwide campaign on balanced nutrition among school children, Kempen Pemakanan Seimbang Champs by Duopharma Biotech Bhd, co-organised by Sin Chew Media Corporation and the National Union of Headmasters Malaysia (Kesatuan Kebangsaan Guru-Guru Besar Malaysia) here.
In today's report by the New Straits Times, National Anti-Drugs Agency (Nada) director-general Sutekno Ahmad Belon said drug pushers were using a new tactic to expand their client base by offering "incentives" to addicts who can bring in more customers.
Describing it as akin to a multi-level marketing (MLM) strategy, Sutekno said the main targets of these pushers and addicts were school-going teenagers as they have pocket money and are naturally curious to try new things.
Lim added the ministry will further enhance the need to have police liaison officers following the report.
"We will study (on the roles) when we receive the full report (of the drug cases involving teenagers in schools)," she said when asked if the ministry will consider heightening the role of police officers as school liaison officers.
In 2017, the Education Ministry had established a strategic cooperation with the police to curb disciplinary problems among schoolchildren nationwide.
The school liaison officers were also tasked to conduct talks and exhibitions related to the prevention of crime, road safety and drug abuse.
