KEYNOTE AND
OPENING ADDRESS BY
HONORABLE
DATO’ ALWI BIN HAJI IBRAHIM,
DEPUTY SECRETARY
GENERAL (SECURITY)
OF THE
MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS MALAYSIA
AT THE OPENING
CEREMONY
OF THE 33RD
MEETING OF ASEAN SENIOR OFFICIAL ON DRUG MATTERS
(ASOD)
25th
SEPTEMBER 2012
KUALA LUMPUR,
MALAYSIA
Distinguished
Heads of Delegations,
Distinguished
Delegates and Observers,
Ladies
and Gentlemen,
Assalamualaikum w.b.t. and a very
Good Morning to you.
First of all, on behalf of the Government and
people of Malaysia let me say:
SELAMAT
DATANG KE MALAYSIA. I am honored to be
given this opportunity to welcome Distinguished Delegations from ten ASEAN
Member States around the region and to officiate at your 33rd ASEAN
Senior Officials on Drug Matters Meeting.
We in
Malaysia are very proud of the fact that the Honorable Puan Sri Dato’ Zuraidah
binti Haji Muhamad, Director General of the National Antidrug Agency has been
elected as Chair of the 33rd ASOD representing Malaysia. Puan Sri
Dato’ Zuraidah binti Haji Muhamad, the first ever woman Director General, has
led NADA to implement the Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP)
which resulted in tremendous changes and transformation made to the drug
treatment and rehabilitation approach by implementing the Cure & Care
Models in Malaysia that focuses on positive
outcomes and impact.
I
understand that although the Meeting is hosted by NADA, the Malaysian Delegates
are also represented by Senior Officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs,
Royal Malaysia Police, the Royal Customs Department, Malaysia Maritime
Enforcement Agency and the Pharmaceutical Services Division of the Ministry of
Health Malaysia. This is an affirmation of the need for a multisectoral
approach in dealing with issues related to supply reduction efforts as well as
in providing drug treatment and
rehabilitation services and to conduct drug preventive education programs and
public awareness campaigns.
Distinguished
Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Recalling
the Bangkok Declaration of 8 August 1967, one of the fundamental principles of
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN was “strengthening the
foundation for a prosperous and peaceful community of Southeast Asian Nations”.
ASEAN policies, plans and strategies and activities revolve around this
principle. Illicit drug cultivation, production, manufacture, trafficking as
being part of transnational crime and the epidemic of drug abuse have the
potential of eroding this central belief thereby affecting the political,
economic and social well being of ASEAN.
During the
31st ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Manila in July 1998, the Foreign
Ministers reiterated the need for enhancing regional efforts against
transnational crime such as illicit drug trafficking, terrorism, money
laundering and trafficking in women and children. In essence, the Joint
Declaration for a Drug-Free ASEAN to eradicate the production, processing,
traffic and of use of illicit drugs in Southeast Asia by the year 2020 and later
during the 33rd AMM endorsed to fast forward the target to the year
2015 due to the alarming threats posed by illicit drugs towards the region, the
world and to mankind.
During the
30th ASOD in 2009, the ASOD work plan entitled the “ASEAN Work Plan on
Combating Illicit Drug Production, Trafficking and Use (2009 – 2015) was
adopted in order to support the vision and scope of the Drug-Free ASEAN 2015. We
applaud Indonesian BNN’s assistance in undertaking the
mid-term review with facilitation from the ASEAN Secretariat.
Distinguished
Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am
informed that the report of the findings on the Mid-Term Review was presented
to the Special ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Drugs and Related Issues hosted by
Thailand from 30 – 31 August 2012. The Meeting tasked the ASEAN Senior
Officials on Drug Matters to monitor the implementation of ASEAN Work Plan on
Combating Illicit Drug Production, Trafficking and Use (2009 – 2015) closely
with the attention to the Mid-Term Review Report made by ASEAN Member States.
The Meeting also proposed to the Government of ASEAN Member States to integrate
the ASEAN Work Plan on Combating Illicit Drug Production, Trafficking and Use
(2009 – 2015) in their national plan on drug control.
As such, I
believe this 33 ASOD meeting has its work cut out for it by having to go
through the mid-report and discussing in
greater detail how proposed targets are
to be met through an effective implementation and monitoring process.
Distinguished
Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
In
Malaysia, the Government has always been consistent through its strong
commitment and political will in combating the illicit drug problem. Our
national drug strategies have also
evolved over time to take into account changes in drug trends within the
nation, regionally and internationally.
Thus we can
see a shift from drug abuse seen as a social problem in the late 70”s, to the
implementation of stringent drug law enforcement since the 80’s. Similarly in
the field of drug treatment we have shifted from a punitive approach to focus
on a variety of treatment modalities and currently to encouraging voluntary
turn-ins.
Similarly
law enforcement agencies within the country and the region are working closer together to address issues such as
diversion of precursors, clandestine labs, drug trafficking syndicates and new
drugs of abuse.
Recognizing
that drugs have an international dimension and also related to other
transnational crimes Malaysia continues to strengthen its bilateral and
regional and international ties. In recent years we have formalized such ties
by signing Memorandum of Understanding on Drug and Precursor Control. Indeed in
recent instances we have expanded the areas of cooperation to include other
threats such as human trafficking, money laundering, currency fraud etc.
In an
increasing complex world facing a variety of challenges, we need to enhance
cooperation, optimize our limited resources and focus on what works. Malaysia
remains fully committed and confident of the ASEAN process and we have faith in
ASOD as the main regional mechanism to address these drug problems.
I am pleased to see today that the forum of
ASOD has sustained its important role as an avenue for Senior Officials from
all ASEAN Member States to gather annually for the purpose of coordinating minds
and efforts towards achieving the Vision of a Drug Free ASEAN by 2015. With
less than three years left to go until 2015, I consider that there are a lot
that needs to be done in order to materialize the vision of a South East Asia
that’s free from illicit drugs in terms of cultivation, production,
manufacture, trafficking and abuse. Having said that, we need go on at full
speed ahead with concrete actions as needed and to implement relevant decisions
in line with the vision of achieving a Drug-Free ASEAN 2015.
In invoking
the name of God Almighty – BismillahHir RahmanNir Rahim,
I formally
Declare Open the 33rd ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters and
wish you every success in your deliberations.
Thank you.
find out more about ASOD 33rd..
Nice words, big hugs, thousand applauds and million thanks.. and we were all depart with a clearer mind. Its the time for real action! http://nodrugplease.blogspot.com/2012/10/asod-all-went-soar.html
The 33rd ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters which is organized by the National Anti-drugs Agency, Ministry of Home Affairs is about to commence! http://nodrugplease.blogspot.com/2012/09/asod-all-works-and-no-play.html
Hidup ini terlalu indah untuk disiakan....
No comments:
Post a Comment