TWENTY-two clients undergoing treatment at the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK) rehabilitation centres (Puspen) passed the 2025 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, underscoring the success of efforts to offer a second chance through education.
AADK director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said the achievement showed that dropping out of school due to drug addiction was not the end of one’s academic journey.
He said AADK had continuously supported those participating in the Client Education Access Programme (PAPK), aimed at reintegrating clients into formal education.
“A total of 27 clients sat for the 2025 SPM examination – 20 from Puspen Karangan in Kedah, six from Puspen Papar in Sabah and one from Puspen Sungai Besi in Selangor.
“Of that figure, 22 passed and qualified for their certificates. This is a 81.5% pass rate,” he told Bernama in Kota Baru, Kelantan.
Ruslin said PAPK was a formal education initiative implemented under the agency’s Institutional Treatment and Rehabilitation Model (RPDI).
He said the programme was designed to provide a second chance for clients who were still of school-going age or who dropped out due to drug addiction.
“The programme does not focus solely on rehabilitation but also emphasises academics, with clients sitting for six core SPM subjects – Bahasa Melayu, English, Science, Mathematics, History and Islamic Studies or Moral Education.
“The PAPK implementation is the result of strategic collaboration between AADK and the Education Ministry, where clients follow a structured class schedule within Puspen similar to a regular school environment with lessons conducted by experienced and trained teachers, including support from local district education offices,” he said.
PAPK’s ultimate goal, besides ensuring clients passed their examinations, was laying the foundation for long-term recovery, he elaborated.
Successful candidates were encouraged to further their studies in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), he said.
“Clients are also given opportunities to apply to colleges or universities to secure their future careers, while helping to dispel the stigma that drug addicts have no academic prospects besides boosting their confidence to reintegrate into society.”
He added that the programme has proven effective in transforming clients’ educational standing.
Ruslin gave examples of individuals who were previously unable to read or write but managed to pass the SPM after undergoing guidance under PAPK.
