THE drug crisis involving Malaysian children has reached a critical stage and can no longer be tackled by enforcement measures alone, warned Alliance for a Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
Responding to recent remarks by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who revealed that children as young as 10 are now involved in drug abuse, Lee said this “alarming development” requires a national pivot towards prevention as the foremost priority.
“Drug abuse is no longer an issue confined to adults or teenagers. It’s now affecting children at an age when they should be in school, playing, and building their future,” Lee said in a statement today.
“They should be in a safe environment under the care and supervision of their parents or guardians. This situation demands urgent attention and a stronger response from all quarters – government, enforcement agencies, schools, parents and the community at large. We must acknowledge that enforcement alone is not enough. Prevention must be the top priority,” he added.
Lee called for comprehensive drug education to be introduced at an earlier stage within the school curriculum, alongside community-based outreach to raise awareness among parents and guardians.
“At the same time, accessible counselling and rehabilitation services must be strengthened to ensure no child is left behind once identified as at risk,” he said.
He also urged Malaysians to take collective responsibility for shielding children from drug networks, saying: “Society must play its role in creating a safe environment for our children – free from the influence of drug pushers and syndicates who prey on the young.”
Lee stressed that effective collaboration between law enforcement agencies and local communities is essential in reducing child vulnerability to drug abuse.
He underscored the broader implications of the issue, framing it not only as a criminal matter but a pressing national social crisis.
“If children as young as 10 are already trapped in addiction, then our future is at stake. We must act now, decisively and collectively, to stop this crisis before it claims an entire generation,” he said. - September 26, 2025
