KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry is committed to combat issues of drug abuse among the youth in the country particularly among school-going children.
Its Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said that various programmes and activities would be conducted in schools to educate and create awareness among children on the danger of drugs.
"The challenge for us (government) today is to further improve the lifestyle and moral values of the people.
"I did not say that the moral values of the people today have decreased, but I believe there are various outside elements that are affecting the people today, as compared to the past.
"We have various existing programmes introduced for the youth and school children, but they require some value-added changes," he said at a press conference after his visit at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz school in Kampung Datuk Keramat here today.
Mahdzir pointed out that the Education Ministry has identified a total of 402 schools nationwide as hotspots for disciplinary and drugs problems as part of the effort to combat drug abuse among youth and school-going children.
"In terms of school dropouts, we are trying to find a way to understand the nature of the school dropouts as not all of them are suspended by the school authorities.
"I have heard of cases where teachers themselves approached the students at their homes but have failed to convince them to return to school.
"This is another challenge that we are facing and hope to address it in the near future," he said
Mahdzir also added that his ministry fully supports the decision of Deputy Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) to introduce stricter regulations on religious schools and childcare centres, including compulsory fire safety plans," he said.
Mahdzir who is also the patron of Yayasan Guru Malaysia Bhd (YGMB or Malaysian Teachers Foundation Bhd) handed over contribution of RM2,000 cash to each of the families of the fire tragedy where 21 students and two teachers of the school perished.
Meanwhile, families of the tahfiz students who perished in the fire, said the donations of RM 2,000, can help lighten their burden.
Ramzanudin Mohit, 39, the father of Muhammad Aiman Ramzanudin said that he has a small salary and that the donation will be able to help finance a Tahlil ceremony.
“By God’s will, I also plan to use this money to hold another ceremony on the 40th day of his death (Kenduri 40 hari),” he said.
Ramzanudin explained that he has no intention in using the money to punish the seven children who were behind the fire.
“We have to leave that to God and we should pray that these kids will find guidance (hidayah) and repent in the future.
“Hopefully, they will become righteous people,” he added.
Abdullah Saad, 60, father of Muhammad Haikal Abdullah, 12 also agreed that the money can help his family in many ways.
“There are no words to express the heartfelt sorrow of losing a child.
“I, however, am grateful that by getting this money I could donate some under the name of my son.
“I plan on buying some Quran or prayer mats (sejadah) to donate to surau where it will benefit and increase my son’s reward (pahala),” he shared with the News Straits Times.
Abdullah who lives nearby, shared that his son was the one who wanted to joined the tahfiz school.
“Haikal only recently joined this school nine months ago and previously was from a public school.
Reporting by SOO WERN JUN, MASRIWANIE MUHAMADING and ALIA MIOR