Govt sends drug rehab bill to PSSCs for refinement

PARLIAMENT | The government has referred a bill on drug rehabilitation to two Parliament Special Select Committees for further refinement.

This was after pushback from the medical fraternity, civil society, and some lawmakers over various concerns such as the involvement of doctors and the government’s approach to decriminalisation.

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced the move after wrapping up the policy debate on the Drug Dependants (Treatment and Rehabilitation) (Amendment) Bill 2024.

He said the bill would be referred to the PSSCs on health and security.

“There we will invite all stakeholders, MPs, legal experts, NGOs, and we will settle (the bill), refine it, and then make a decision,” he added.

This is the second bill Saifuddin has tabled this year that has been deferred after pushback.

The other bill was the constitutional amendments regarding citizenship, which was supposed to be debated in this Parliament session.

Medical personnel involved

In his wrap-up, Saifuddin emphasised that medical officers will be involved in the rehabilitation of drug users.

“Because when rehabilitation officers provide the verification, there will be a two-week period in which they (the drug user) are monitored and examined.

“There are all sorts of tests that will be done by our experts in the National Anti-Drugs Agency and trained rehabilitation officers,” he said.

He stressed that rehabilitation officers undergo training with international accreditation organisations.

Drug users with health issues will be referred to medical professionals, he added.

“Those called rehabilitation officers have qualifications and expertise in the fields of psychology, counselling psychology, counselling, and clinical psychology.

“They also have academic qualifications such as master’s degree in substance abuse, master’s degree in substance abuse counseling, and master’s degree in clinical psychology,” he explained.

Experts pan bill

Previously, Malaysian Medical Association president Dr Azizan Abdul Aziz said that drug rehabilitation officers are not doctors.

She was referring to Section 6(2) of the bill, which empowers a magistrate to order a drug or substance dependent to undergo rehabilitation for up to two years.

This is after the magistrate receives a recommendation from a rehabilitation officer, and after giving the drug or substance dependent the opportunity to make representations.

The proposed law defines a rehabilitation officer as any officer appointed under Section 5 of the National Anti-Drugs Agency (AADK) Act 2004, meaning every AADK officer other than its director-general.

Azizan insisted the magistrate must obtain recommendations from a doctor with specialised training, not a rehabilitation officer, before deciding the duration of the treatment and rehabilitation.

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