By: Michelle Boyou and Fauzi Suhaimi

BENTONG, December 7, 2023 – The National Anti-Drugs Agency (NADA) Strategic Retreat Plan Management Level 2024 decided 10 strategic directions to be maintained with eight new ways forward for next year.

The 10 strategy include strengthening organizational governance and officer integrity; expanding the coverage of prevention programs based on NADA’s i-Cegah Model and developing a profiling system that includes data on drug addicts and estimates numbers of drug addicts in Malaysia.

In addition, NADA direction for next year will also strengthen treatment and rehabilitation programs in the community (RPDK) and institutions (RPDI) based on the NADA i-Pulih Model; expanding the reach of mobile treatment and rehabilitation services (MRT AADK) and strengthening recovery capital through the Recovery Maintenance Support program through the Family Recovery Support Group Model (KSKK).

The efforts to increase capacity and capability of NADA officers by recognizing NADA officers as experts in counseling through the NADA Practice Certification by implementing it as part of the direction strategy for the upcoming year.

Furthermore, efforts to encourage scientific research; strengthening network of cooperation with the authorities and world agency bodies and practicing a clean, tidy, safe and healthy workplace environment are also outlined in the plan.

Meanwhile, the eight way forward 2024 covers efforts to outsource prevention programs and post continuum care programs including through Alternative Service Delivery (ASD) of the Public Service Department (JPA) and looking at opportunities to use (paid) volunteering in the implementation of ASD.

Moreover, NADA plans to industrialize Private Drug Rehabilitation Centers (PPDP) and reduce large-scale programs at the national level thus channeling the relevant allocations to the district level.

Mental readiness added in the Implementation of the Amendment to the Drug and Substance Abuse (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act 1983 and establishing a teaching Narcotic Addiction Rehabilitation Center (PUSPEN) is also a long-term plan to strengthen the agency’s functionality.

The sixth way forward is to identify suitable PUSPEN to implement agricultural projects in abandoned lands such as cocoa plantation and banana plantation projects while the seventh way forward is to make an application for the construction of the District NADA office in the Rolling Plan for all Responsibility Centers (PTJ) which owns land owned by NADA.

The last way forward is to study changes in working methods in the long term so that NADA remains as a leading agency in the fight against drugs.

Earlier, NADA Director General, Mr. Sutekno Ahmad Belon officiated the retreat which was held for three days in Bukit Tinggi, Bentong Pahang and a total of 75 participants consisting of Divisional Directors, Unit Heads, State NADA Directors and PUSPEN Directors attended the retreat.

Also present were the Deputy Director General (Operations) of NADA, Tuan Khairul Anwar Bachok, the Director of the Integrity Unit, Zulfikri Ab Manaf and the Director of the Policy, Planning and Research Division of NADA, Othman Mohamed Nazari as observers.