A Need for Community-Based Rehabilitation Centres for Drug Users

 Last week, it was reported that a resident of a drug rehabilitation centre in Kubang Pasu, Kedah had died after succumbing to injuries allegedly caused by a warden when he was attempting to escape. It was also reported that the warden had allegedly placed the victim in an isolation cell, then stepped on the victim’s neck and kicked his chest. While the warden has since been arrested, it raises concerns over the potential abuse and torture that could happen in rehabilitation, as well as the need for drug policy reform for us to better help drug users in Malaysia. We discuss with Dr Afiqah Mohd Salleh from Universiti Malaya’s Centre of Excellence for Research in AIDS (CERiA) and Ramli Abdul Samad, president of PENGASIH.

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