Politicians should go into the business of selling ice-cream if they want to appease everyone, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said today.
Speaking at a forum on drug policy, Dzulkefly said this in acknowledging the uphill battle in introducing the new policy to decriminalise drug abuse in the country.
This was especially as the plan has been misunderstood as an attempt to legalise drug abuse, according to him.
The minister put his foot down saying that he was not trying to score political "brownie points" by introducing the policy but instead was doing it to help addicts get proper treatment.
"I don't think politicians in this country should try to appease everyone. You can't please everyone anyway. The only way you can to appease everyone is to sell ice- cream. But even then you will have a lot of critics.
"The drug problem is a real issue that affects all segments of society in Malaysia. Throughout our lives, we likely know someone that has struggled with drug addiction.
"The government not only has the responsibility to stop drug traffickers but also to focus on effective drug prevention campaigns and make drug addiction treatment more accessible.
"Our policy must be based on evidence, not on beliefs or personal perceptions. I urge all parties to put our people before politics because the drug issue is beyond race, religion and political parties. Instead, our community should be our priority," he said.
The minister was giving the keynote speech at the forum on "Rethinking Drug Policy in Malaysia", which was organised by Universiti Malaya together with the Global Commission on Drug Policy.
Dzulkefly said that as a minister that came from a Muslim party, he was well aware of the potential backlash from the new policy.
Thus, he added, that was why it had to be embarked upon with "all tact, wisdom and an evidence-based approach".
Explaining further to the media later, he said every quarter should be on board to support the plan.
Towards this, he said the effort to reform the approach to drug abuse should not be confused with legalising such activities.
"Do not confuse the issue. We are not legalising drug addiction or use. We are taking baby steps for reform in finally understanding drug addiction as a disease.
"When it comes to addiction, we must help them because they are patients. They must be helped. The idea of decriminalising is that.
"Do not stigmatise them by imprisoning them, do not incarcerate them but help them," he said.
Asked whether there was a fixed time frame for the new policy to be implemented, Dzulkefly said they were taking steps to engage all stakeholders.
It would be implemented within the first term of Harapan administration, he added.
"Of course, that will be the timeline," he said.
In June last year, Dzulkefly announced that the government planned to work towards removing criminal penalties for the personal possession and use of drugs. - Mkini
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