Special courts to handle drug cases timely, says Lee

KUALA LUMPUR: It is timely that Malaysia is setting up dedicated courts to try and dispose of the ri­­sing number of drug cases, says Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

The Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation vice-chairman said the special courts would free up the regular ones and enable them to focus on other major cases.

“These dedicated courts, either in all regions or states, could help to clear backlog remand drugs cases and facilitate police work,” he said in a statement.

Lee called on the Government to study the models of special courts in the United States or Australia where they addressed non-violent drug offenders whose involvement was due mainly to substance addiction.

In March, Federal Narcotics Crime Investigation Department director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Mokhtar Shariff told The Star that the narcotics court would be implemented soon.

Lee said illicit drugs were a se­­rious threat to the country’s security, affecting its socio-economic development and the younger ge­neration.

He said the drugs trade had become more lucrative now with more addicts and mules recruited by syndicates.

“Previously, the deals were conducted in back alleys but today, drugs are easily available in places like clubs, concerts and even educational institutions,” he said.

He said drug pushers and syndicates were more aggressive in their approach, adding that they were even enticing Malaysians as young as seven years old to get interested in drug-laced sweets.

According to the National Anti-Drugs Agency, there were 131,841 registered drug addicts between January 2010 and February this year.

About three-quarters of them were aged between 20 and 39.