Trying to do their best: It’s time to prioritise the teaching profession. Teachers are not mere government civil servants, they are thought leaders, nation-builders, and motivators. — Posed photo/123rf

THE nation continues to debate whether those under 16 should be banned from having social media accounts, if CCTV and security detectors should be installed in schools, and about mental health counselling training for teachers.

Sadly, no one has come out to talk about support for our teachers.

More work has been loaded on them as they become surrogate parents the minute children are dropped off at school gates.

If the kids are top scorers, parents take the credit and bask in reflected glory, but if they are under performers, the teachers get the blame.

In the staff room, teachers are becoming data entry clerks, filing endless meaningless reports to schools and education departments.

The once-feared disciplinary teachers, many of whom we older people remember until today, have lost their power in the present day school system.

They can even be charged in the courts for whacking ill-behaved kids.

Many of us from the older generation would never dare tell our parents then that we had been given a beating in school by these teachers, who roamed the corridors with canes in hand.

If our parents came to know, we usually ended up getting another round of punishment. Now, kids run to their overprotective parents to whine. The parents, in turn, run to their lawyers and the media, to make exaggerated allegations.

No wonder we keep hearing about teachers opting to retire early. The reported main reasons for their decisions include a loss of interest in teaching (67%), followed by family problems (about 17%) and health issues (around 7.7%).

Other factors include a heavy workload, administrative burdens and difficulty adapting to changes in the profession. They also struggle with inconsistent policies, syllabus density, and overly hierarchical school management and structures.

Recently, Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said 19,179 primary and secondary school teachers opted for early retirement between 2022 and May this year, with most citing loss of interest in teaching.

He said the ministry had outlined seven measures aimed at reducing teachers’ workloads, including scrapping low-impact school events and appointing members of the public as examination invigilators.

He also said the ministry had introduced teaching assistants at schools with more than 1,500 students to help reduce teachers’ administrative workloads.

It is good to read that the grievances of teachers have been heard and plans are being made to help them.

Teachers are more than educators. They shape the minds and character of the next generation. They have made a difference in many lives.

They are often the first role models outside the family, the ones who nurture dreams, spark curiosity, and guide children towards a better future.

I’m sure all of us, regardless of our age, still remember the names of teachers who made an impact on our lives. Of course, the bad ones are still etched in our minds too, but I believe many of us from the older generation had mostly good experiences.

Yet, despite their indispensable role, Malaysian teachers continue to be undervalued, underpaid, and underappreciated.

We call them “heroes” every Teacher’s Day, and when they retire, especially the headmasters, they are accorded a grand send off. Tears are shed, sometimes. But once the speeches and photo ops are over, very little changes.

During the national day parade, we see Malaysians getting excited over the muscled Abang Bomba and even the police canines. Certainly, we should consider giving our teachers just as prominent a role during the National Day march past.

For far too long, our teachers have carried the nation on their shoulders without receiving the recognition and perks they truly deserve. The respect they deserve has faded, with teaching no longer seen as a noble, well-paid profession. Malaysia will never attract the best minds if we continue down this path.

Teaching has never been a simple job but it is now harder than ever. Beyond delivering lessons, teachers are expected to be counsellors, administrators, event organisers, exam invigilators, medical officers, disciplinarians, and surrogate parents.

In the recent school stabbing case, they even had to apprehend a boy walking around with knives.

Their jobs don’t end after the long school hours either – there’s grading papers, preparing lesson plans, or attending meetings too. Now, they even have to learn about artificial intelligence and STEM to keep up with modern lesson modules.

Our teachers deserve better. For many, salaries are barely enough to match the rising cost of living.

Promotion opportunities can be limited and bureaucratic, and the allowances or perks they receive do not reflect the magnitude of their responsibilities.

Let’s not forget those who are posted to rural schools with few facilities. They literally live in hardship.

It is unfair that here teaching is regarded as a “safe government job with pensions’’ as the reality is in many other countries, including neighbouring Singapore, teaching is a prestigious, well-paid career that attracts top talent.

Teachers are not mere civil servants, they are thought leaders, nation builders and motivators.

Countries that prioritise education understand that quality teaching is the single most powerful tool to break cycles of poverty, foster innovation, and build a competitive economy, as one report put it.

Our Malaysian teachers deserve better.

A Japanese proverb sums it up perfectly: “Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.”

Safer for all: We need to instil in schools and in our culture, a greater respect for girls and women. — 123rf

THREE highly disturbing incidents have jolted the nation recently: One involved the gang rape of a female student in a classroom by four schoolmates in Melaka, another saw a Form Four girl fatally stabbed by a Form One boy in Selangor, and in Kedah three students and a former student were arrested for allegedly raping a girl several times and sharing nude recordings of the victim online.

Understandably, there have been angry responses to these cases. Prior to this, there have also been several bullying reports, including the high-profile Zara Qairina Mahathir death in Sabah where an inquest is still ongoing.

All these incidents involved minors, which means their identities must not be revealed. Still, that has not stopped social media from circulating pictures and videos without a care.

The Child Protection Act in Malaysia is clear – the law was enacted to protect, care for, and rehabilitate children.

They can be charged in court for their crimes but unlike accused adults, their names and details cannot be made known and photographs cannot be published by the media. The Act applies to all individuals under the age of 18 in Malaysia, and there is no exception as these are universal legal standards.

The public has been furious over how the authorities have reacted to these sad incidents, as the perception is that there has been a lack of empathy towards the victims.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek found herself caught in the storm and, unfortunately for her, the cases keep piling up.

Like they say, it never rains but it pours. When something bad happens, other bad things tend to happen at the same time or in rapid succession.

The reaction, especially on social media, has been swift, with an outpouring of raw emotions.

Not many netizens are thinking straight, though, with many not understanding prevailing laws and their principles. Unfortu-nately, some of these outraged but misinformed influencers have large followings.

The threads that follow are probably the worst – in Zara’s case, she was purportedly put inside a washing machine because the bullies were children of VVIPs, according to rumour- mongers. Until today, some people still hold this nonsense to be true, even though it has been rebutted.

In the gang rape case in Melaka, the four were charged after the Attorney General’s Chambers reviewed the police investigations.

But let’s be clear – the principle of being innocent until proven guilty is a fundamental right in law.

Yet a standard reply by the Education Minister that they are allowed to sit for the SPM examination has suddenly become a hot topic with many wanting the four to be punished immediately.

A simple question from a reporter, and Fadhlina’s standard reply has evolved into a totally new narrative.

If she had kept silent, she would have been burned. If she had said they can’t sit for the SPM, she would have been put to the stake by lawyers as it would be legally and constitutionally wrong.

Like it or not, the four have a right to sit for the SPM exams as they have yet to be convicted. Even convicts in jail have the right to sit for examinations.

But crisis management has failed in this case. It could have been better handled and in the age of social media, where replies are edited, and where no one bothers to read the entire text, sound bites are easily manipulated.

Perhaps temperatures could have been lowered if the minister had replied that the children are lawfully allowed to sit for the SPM but it would have to be in another facility – not at their school – and under the supervision of the police.

Social media is toxic. The minute the rape and fatal cases were reported, some of the questions that surfaced were about the races of the perpetrators and the victims.

Were they Malay or Chinese? Was the rape victim wearing a tudung? Was it a consensual sex act involving minors but regarded as rape?

Then the media reports are filled with comments from politicians, experts, and self-proclaimed experts that the school system has turned foul and rotten, with incompetent teachers. Many demanded that the minister resign.

Fingers have been pointed at schools, ministries, and enforcement agencies, with policemen expected to be present in every school from now.

There were 7,778 primary schools as of 2022 and 2,439 secondary schools in 2020, with about 132 private primary schools in 2021 and 287 international schools as of January 2020, according to a report.

How does one police all of them?

Of course, one can also ask: How could such crimes happen in supposedly safe learning environments? Why weren’t there better security measures? Why wasn’t there more vigilance?

These are fair and necessary questions. Institutions must be held accountable.

But if we limit our national conversation to security lapses, CCTV cameras, or ministerial responsibility, we are missing a critical truth: gender-based violence is not merely a systems failure – it is a cultural failure.

No one cares that they are all victims. Their identities, including pictures and videos, are shared on social media – someone even shared the initial police report of the stabbing incident.

But Malaysians as a whole also need to answer this question: How have we, as parents, cultivated our children’s attitude towards girls?

It begins in homes where boys are excused for “teasing” girls. It grows in schools where inappropriate comments are brushed off as jokes.

It festers in communities where girls are taught to dress modestly “for their safety”, while boys are not taught to respect boundaries.

“Boys will be boys” is no longer acceptable.

Women who purportedly are not dressed decently are blamed for arousing the men. In short, it’s always the women who have to take the blame.

Yet there are too many cases of modestly-dressed women, including tudung-clad ones, who are raped. This happens even in conservative states, especially in the rural areas, and many of the rapists are relatives. Incest is committed, too.

It is not about what women wear or how they walk or talk. Boys and men should stop these stupid excuses.

Malaysia has a misogyny problem and we do not even talk about it. Women drivers are supposed to be bad and men should be preferred over women for certain jobs. These are just excuses.

We need to instil in schools and in our culture a greater respect for women. When disrespect is normalised, it creates a dangerous environment where some grow up believing that they have the right to exert power over others.

Women have the right to reject advances and when love is not requited, and that does not allow anyone to punish or, worse, stab them to death.

Getting rejected, whether in love or in work, is part of life, and parents need to teach that to their kids, from the early stages at home.

Education is not the sole responsibility of teachers. Parents should stop assuming they can delegate that task completely to teachers.

Respect towards women is not negotiable. They are not the weaker sex and they are not to be confined to the back. Malaysia is not a Taliban country, full stop.

Reading through the reports of these cases, it would appear that many parents had no idea what their children were thinking or doing, with the standard replies being that “everything seemed normal”.

Many of us probably seldom talk to our children and, for sure, have no idea about the kind of content on social media that they are following.

Yes, our schools must be safer but cultural transformation is just as essential. Respect must be taught, modelled, and expected.

Instead of fault-finding, perhaps it is important that, as parents, we remind ourselves that we need to teach our children the principles of respect and acceptance.

Let’s ask ourselves: How many of us, parents and grandparents, know what our children are watching and playing on their computers behind closed doors?

It could involve anything from cyberbullying, fraud, and identity theft, to exposure to inappropriate content and bizarre life-threate-ning games, so parents need to keep up with their kids. And parents should stop blaming others for their kids’ behaviour.

There is a need for a security audit of all schools, teachers need to be trained to handle psycho-logical issues, and it will help if Rela volunteers are posted to assist.

And please, empower the teachers, and stop whining if problematic students are hauled up for punishment. For all that, teachers also deserve to be better paid.

A humanitarian issue: Palestinians returning to what remains of their home after the first phase of the ceasefire in Gaza came into effect on Friday. — AFP

THERE is overwhelmingly strong and emotional support from the Malay-Muslim community in Malaysia for the Palestinian issue, which is understandable given the religious affinity between the brethren.

And on Malay social media, questions have been raised about why there is less enthusiasm among non-Muslims.

The responses range from anger over the perceived lack of empathy to calls to frame the narrative in a more universal message of humanity.

I have made no apologies for my support of Palestinian struggles and I wear the badge of my stand proudly.

Unlike many Malaysians, I have seen with my own eyes and personally experienced the daily humiliations the Palestinians were subjected to even before the war.

It had been going on for decades – to be precise, for the last 70 years.

I visited Jerusalem in 2005 on a Christian pilgrimage, which was authorised by the Malaysian government.

I saw a Palestinian woman carrying a baby standing under the scorching sun as Israeli soldiers mocked her.

She stood there silently with downcast eyes for a long time as calls were made via walkie-talkies, presumably to check if she was a security risk.

A daily short journey home or to work could take much longer than usual – which is unimaginable to Malaysians – because of these checks. Sometimes it could become a six-hour ordeal affecting people’s productivity and hampering their movements. And all this was taking place in their land.

The eye-opener for me was when our group was made to wait for our entry from Jordan to Jerusalem at the immigration checkpoint.

We were made to wait for hours even though the place was empty. As the group gathered to pray, the young gun-toting soldiers ridiculed us loudly.

It was certainly a wake-up call for some of the Christians who may have thought of Israelis as the “chosen ones”.

There are enough videos on YouTube showing Christian pilgrims and even nuns being spat at and abused by Jews.

Jews are not Christians, full stop, even though Jesus was a Jew. And not all Palestinians are Muslims, even though most are.

Our guide, Jeries Farra, was an Arab Christian who spoke excellent Bahasa Indonesia, and from day one he told us point blank how his people were treated.

The Bible-quoting man had nothing good to say about Zionist Jews but also said there were secular and liberal Jews who despised the Zionist regime.

He was just as angry towards Muslim countries that had diplomatic ties with Israel. He accused them of being complicit in the injustice, as they quietly watched the sufferings of the Palestinians.

This is the lesson: Not all Muslim Arabs are as angry with Israel as most Muslim Malaysians here, and Christians have to draw a distinction between a Judaism-practicing Jew and a Christian.

There was a clear demarcation – the Palestinian towns were dirty and poor as a result of being deprived of funds, in contrast with the Israeli-run areas, which were clean and affluent. Many areas reminded me of Los Angeles, with manicured lawns, rolling hills, and palm tree-lined roads.

There was signage everywhere that proclaimed proudly “Jer-USA-lem” to show off their backer.

In fact, many Israelis I met had two passports – Israeli and American – with many sounding American.

I will never forget how our Malaysian tour manager, who organises pilgrimages, repeatedly appealed to us to buy from Palestinians, saying they needed our help. Many of us bought more than what we wanted to lend support to the Palestinian cause.

Ironically, too, many of the Biblical sites are located in predominantly Palestinian areas, and it was common to see Muslims selling Christian prayer items and Biblical souvenirs. It was also common for Muslims to celebrate Christmas then, especially in Bethlehem, the Biblical birthplace of Jesus.

That one trip, which was over two decades ago, changed everything for me. I saw Palestinians as an oppressed people. As ordinary people who needed to have our support. I met Muslim and Christian Palestinians.

Fast forward to 2025, and I read about Christians and Muslims being killed at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, even as the church provided refuge to hundreds of Palestinians.

The Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, run by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, wasn’t spared either. Israeli forces shelled it on Palm Sunday, the start of the Holy Week, the most sacred week of the Christian year.

The Israeli response is always the same – these were hideouts of Hamas or it was an accident.

Malaysians need to look deeper beyond religion as this is about a universal struggle for justice, human rights, and dignity.

It is a cause that should transcend religious and ethnic boundaries – and one that all Malaysians, regardless of faith, should care about.

People from around the world – in Britain, Italy, Spain, Germany, Colombia, Canada, the Netherlands and South Korea – have come out to stage protests for the Palestinian cause, and most of them are Christians.

People from around the world – including in Mexico, pictured here – have come out to stage protests for the Palestinian cause, and most of them are Christians. — AP

And for the past two years, Christians in the West Bank have cancelled Christmas celebrations and even refused to put up the Christmas tree at Bethlehem Square as a result of the war in Gaza. This is how Palestinian Christians have responded as one people.

Even many ultra-orthodox Jews with their black hats and jackets have come out to protest against the Zionist regime.

The Palestinians have been displaced, their homes and lands robbed. They have been discriminated against. And in the age of social media, we see with our own eyes the genocidal effort to wipe out Palestinians, some-thing we would have never imagined.

It is wrong for any Malaysian, regardless of race and religion, to say this is not our problem.

We have opposed apartheid in South Africa, supported the independence movement in Timor-Leste and now the country’s entry into Asean.

Malaysians have previously raised money for Cambodia and North Korea when they faced famine, as well as for the Bosnians.

To non-Muslims I say let’s not send the wrong message that we do not care. Injustices affect us directly, religiously, or culturally, and we must not forget that the late Pope Francis was the most vocal Christian leader on the plight of the Palestinians.

In his Easter message, given a day before he died in April, he expressed his “closeness to the sufferings of Christians in Palestine and Israel, and to all the Israeli people and Palestinian people’’. He prayed for all.

We need non-Muslims in Malaysia – Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and all – to speak louder and be seen to stand in solidarity with Palestinians, and at minimum, to pray for all the people in Palestine.

All religions believe in the universal values of freedom, dignity, and justice, and the right to just live peacefully.

Not every Palestinian is a terrorist or a Muslim, not every Jew is a Zionist, not every Arab nation has been sincere in wanting to save Palestine, and certainly many non-Muslims in Malaysia also support Palestine.

The Palestine issue is one that deserves the support of all Malaysians. Let’s not be selective in our causes.

Viral taint: A TikTok video on Semporna’s filthiness, posted by travel influencer Backpacker Ben (left), will have a negative impact on Sabah’s tourism and the country’s reputation. — @backpacker_ben/TikTok

IT’S terribly disgraceful and a huge embarrassment for Malaysia. Unfortunately, there is some truth in it.

There is a video making its rounds on social media platforms around the globe which has referred to Semporna, a coastal town in Sabah, as “Asia’s Dirtiest Town’’.

The video, uploaded by an influencer called Backpacker Ben, will surely have a negative impact on Malaysia.

But he is not the only one who has reacted in that way. A search will show there have been many similar videos previously with harsher comments on what is the gateway to the most beautiful islands on earth.

The pole position as Asia’s dirtiest town is an exaggeration as there are far worse, but Semporna is indeed filthy.

I made a trip to Semporna last month and I can vouch that the town is filthy.

It is simply a reflection of the town’s pathetic waste management programme – or the lack of one.

This has been going on for decades. The inability of the municipal council to tackle the huge amount of trash around the town and in the waters is disappointing.

Piles of garbage line the streets, plastic floats in the bay, and open drains carry the stench of a systemic failure. To put it bluntly, the town actually stinks.

When tourists turn up at the Seafest Jetty to wait for boats to take them to the islands, they are immediately greeted with rubbish – mostly plastic bottles and polystyrene containers – floating everywhere.

There is plenty of finger pointing but basically no sustainable solutions.

Poor waste management infrastructure and lack of environmental education and enforcement are the immediate reasons. The low level of public awareness, especially among the many stateless Bajau Laut (sea gypsy) people living on their floating homes, has been blamed.

The situation has become so bad that plastics and other debris have washed up on the shores of nearby Mabul Island and surroundings.

It is an incredible experience snorkelling in the waters around the coral-ringed islands with their crystal-clear waters and abundance of sea creatures, especially turtles.

At the same time, it was heartbreaking to see floating rubbish on the surface.

Semporna is the gateway to the breathtakingly beautiful dive haven of Sabah. The low level of public awareness, especially among the many stateless Bajau Laut living on their floating homes, has been blamed for its rubbish problem. But the town’s pathetic waste management programme – or the lack of one – is also at fault. — EDDIE CHUA/The Star

As a Malaysian, it was hard to explain to travellers who had come from afar about the massive amount of rubbish in Semporna and the plastics around nearby islands.

Semporna is the gateway to some of the most breathtaking marine environments on Earth. Yet the town itself tells a very different story – one of neglect, pollution, and missed potential.

Up to over 2,000 China tourists visit the islands around Semporna each day, according to The Daily Express, yet we do not see an international class pier there.

There is also a serious lack of clean toilet facilities, with most arrivals rushing to a nearby mall – but the toilets there are hardly well kept, either.

The distance from the Tawau airport to Semporna is about 40 minutes.

Another report said an estimated half a million tourists pass through Semporna each year, “yet the basic sanitation services look more like those of a village, not an international destination”.

Our federal, state, and local council officials, business leaders, and local communities need to come together and reclaim Semporna.

Semporna MP Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal should know the issues well enough, having represented the constituency for so long.

He cannot fend off matters by stating that he does not sit in the council, in reference to the issues in Semporna. He cannot just wash his hands of the problem.

Shafie is also the state assemblyman for Senallang, which covers Semporna town and Mabul Island. He has served as a chief minister for Sabah.

While there is an international standard hotel at Mabul, there is also a run-down fishing village, carefully sealed up, which also has a horrible rubbish issue.

The dirty and neglected atmosphere at the village tells a sad story. It is populated by the sea nomads, with huge amounts of plastics and trash lying around, and poorly maintained areas, a stark contrast to the island’s well-kept resort.

If we don’t act now, we risk letting a national treasure become an international embarrassment.

We brand Semporna and the islands as the Maldives of the region but we will end up disappointing tourists.

Semporna must clean up – literally and systemically. The world is watching, and what they see today is unacceptable.

We have to invest in a modern, well-funded waste collection and recycling system with possibly a portion of tourism revenue reinvested directly into environmental protection and urban cleanliness programmes.

The people of Semporna will benefit from cleaning up the town and the waters. They rely on the sea for their food, income, and cultural identity.

There has to be community engagement and environmental education in schools, mosques, and villages, as it is everyone’s responsibility.

Semporna needs a stick-and-carrot approach if the stakeholders want to ensure it gets cleaned up. There has to be stricter regulation and enforcement, with rewards for those who help.

Right now, Semporna has failed to live up to its name. It is definitely not sempurna (perfect). In fact, it’s far from it.

It is not only Kelantan, which has a serious social problem involving the young, and punishment is not the only solution, says the writer. — 123rf

THERE is a popular saying, that it takes two to tango. It means that in a situation that involves two people, both are held accountable for what happens. Both must share responsibility.

This was probably the stand of Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat, who has proposed that girls involved in consensual sexual relations with underage boys, must also be made liable.

He made the statement in response to a worrying rise in underage sexual activity in Kelantan. He was quoted as saying that nearly 90% of reported statutory rape cases were found to be consensual.

There was also an earlier news report that a 43-year-old woman had lodged a police report in Pasir Puteh, Kelantan, after her eldest daughter informed her that another daughter, aged 15, was offering sexual services on Telegram.

The mother also believed her daughter was involved sexually with several men.

Mohd Yusoff’s statement has been quickly dismissed by the government as his personal view and not an official stand.

However, the Kelantan PAS government backed his statement, with deputy Mentri Besar Dr Mohamed Fadzli Hassan calling for a review of existing laws so that both parties involved in “consensual” rape cases are held responsible.

Both of them are entitled to their views and argument, although as a lawmaker and law enforcer, they should also realise that the existing laws are very clear.

These laws involving minors are not exclusive to Malaysia – they are practised in most countries around the world.

These include countries like Singapore, the Philippines, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Kenya, although some Western countries have allowed close-in-age relationships even if it involves minors, with age thresholds.

There is no reason for the existing law in Malaysia to be changed simply because of the situation in Kelantan, as any changes to the law will be applicable to other states, too.

The Malaysian Penal Code stipulates that any sexual activity with a minor (under 16) is considered statutory rape, even if the minor consents.

This legal principle is grounded in the idea of protecting children and adolescents from exploitation, manipulation, and harm, regardless of their apparent willingness or consent.

Under Section 375(g) of the Malaysian Penal Code, a man is said to have committed rape “with or without her consent, when she is under sixteen years of age”.

This means consent is not legally valid when the person is under the age of 16. The rationale is that minors are not legally capable of giving informed consent to sexual activity.

What can be more despicable than to have a grandfather or an adult having sex with an underage girl, even if it is regarded as consensual? The adult would have clearly manipulated or coerced minors into such purported consensual acts by taking advantage of their inexperience and vulnerable positions.

Certainly these adults should know better than to have sex with minors. Rightly or wrongly, the impression given is that punishment of the victim is the preferred approach of those who want the laws to be amended.

The logic of the prevailing laws is to protect minors from exploitation as they are generally seen as not mature enough to understand the physical, emotional, and psychological consequences of sex.

There is a clear legal – and even uncompromising – rationale behind these laws as they want to avoid any ambiguity.

If the law allowed for “consensual sex” with minors under certain conditions, it would be much harder to prove coercion or manipulation in court.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri and Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), must be commended for putting their foot down.

Azalina said the laws on statutory rape will not be changed and that the government is committed to international standards in cases of rape, particularly those involving minors.

Nancy said the children involved in underage “consensual” sexual relationships should be guided, rehabilitated, and protected instead of being subjected to punishment.

It is better for the Kelantan government to determine, with comprehensive, data-driven research, why young people in the state are involved in consensual sex despite the conservative rule in the state.

Sinar Harian also reported that in 2023, the state health department revealed that 80% of reported HIV cases involved adults in their 30s who were infected through sexual transmission.

Dr Fadzil has however said that Kelantan only recorded 23 HIV cases in 2023, a far cry from Kuala Lumpur’s 357, Sabah’s 320, Penang’s 256, and Sarawak’s 248, saying these were figures from the Health Ministry.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution recently said Kelantan had the highest number of drug addicts in 2024, based on National Anti-Drugs Agency statistics. The data was compiled from the police, Health Ministry, and private rehabilitation centres.

“Viewed in terms of drug addiction and abuse cases per 100,000 residents, the five top most states were Kelantan with 1,130 people, Terengganu with 974, Perlis with 965, Kedah with 898, Penang with 803 and Sarawak with 425,’’ he said in a written parliamentary reply.

Kelantan has a serious social problem involving the young, and punishment is not the only solution.

The state needs help from the Federal Government that focuses on behavioural change, increasing awareness, and delivering accurate and effective information that can attract the attention of the young.

It is better for the federal and Kelantan state governments to work together to find solutions to ease these social problems. It’s not a Kelantan only problem as they are all young Malaysians who need help and deserve as many chances in life as possible.

High ambitions: PAS party leaders have now set their sights on the top post in Perikatan, and the country. Will voters be drawn to their political stance though? — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star

IT’S clear now that PAS knows the party will head nowhere if it cannot win over the votes of non-Muslims, particularly the Chinese and Indians, as well as the non-Muslim bumiputras in Sabah and Sarawak. The only snag is – the Islamist party has no idea about how it can gain the confidence of these crucial voters.

There seemed to be a slight improvement at its recently concluded party general assembly when deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man proposed Tamil and Mandarin lessons in schools to boost unity.

At first glance, it appears to be an inclusive call but for many, it was merely a gesture. PAS could not respond convincingly when the party was asked if it was ready to offer these language classes at its own preschool network, Pusat Asuhan Tunas Islam.

Both languages are currently already available in schools if there is a demand from students and if teachers are available.

But students often do not take languages seriously as they are not compulsory subjects.

Still, the suggestion was far better than the call by a delegate last year – he had wanted his audience to marry non-Malays for votes. Granted, it was intended to be a light-hearted proposal but it still ignited much criticism.

Little has changed this year, with a Penang youth leader reportedly saying there is “no way” a non-Muslim can become a leader of Muslims.

It was an apparent reference to Gerakan president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau, who was fielded by Opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional in the Malay-majority state seat of Bayan Lepas in the 2023 Penang elections.

While it is understandable that politicians want to galvanise the party faithful at annual meetings with provocative statements, PAS’ bravado in declaring its interest in wresting Pahang, Perak, and Selangor under its control is enough to spook non-Muslims.

PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan also sent a clear message: that the party is now prepared to lead Perikatan.

He may not have said it in so many words, but it did seem to imply that the party is ready to take the prime ministership.

Non-Muslims can stomach PAS being a senior partner in the federal government but for it to play head honcho? That is a different game.

All these bold announcements are unlikely to shift negative perceptions non-Muslim have of the party. They may have even led to further alienation of the non- Muslims.

PAS leaders may have the impression that Malaysians are reacting negatively to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the expanded sales and services tax, rising cost of living, gloomy business environment, and perceived delay in reforms. But the most PAS can hope for from this is that non- Muslims will stay away from the voting centres. Don’t expect them to cross the ballot papers for PAS candidates.

In any case, there are still two years to the polls.

Let’s be frank. PAS has no idea how it can win the hearts and minds of non-Muslims. Many of its leaders are from the East Coast states which does not allow them the opportunity to interact much with non-Muslims, who are a comparatively small community there.

It’s strange, but PAS actually believes that Kelantan is a shining example of how a state should be governed when most non-Muslims actually think that it is underdeveloped and badly administered.

Many of us often wonder why the people of the state continue to keep the PAS state government in power. Kelantan is no model state.

PAS has heavy baggage. It will not change overnight and it very likely will not want to.

It has historically positioned itself as an Islamist party with the goal of implementing syariah law and turning Malaysia into an Islamic state.

This narrative has created deep distrust among non-Muslims (and even some moderate Muslims), who worry about the erosion of secular governance, infringement on minority rights, and policies based on religious doctrine rather than pluralistic values.

The harsh reality is that PAS has a track record of exclusionary rhetoric – yet it wonders why non-Muslims cannot accept it, preferring to blame the media and political opponents for this.

Over the years, various PAS leaders have made remarks many have perceived as divisive, including calling non-Muslims “kafir” or infidels.

In fact, the PAS non-Muslim supporters’ wing chief K. Deepakaran has called on party members to refrain from using terms like “kafir” or “pendatang” (migrant) as such labels would offend non-Muslims.

When non-Muslims look at PAS, they see bans on alcohol, concerts, and cinemas, dress codes, gender segregation, and moral policing.

They are not going to buy any assurances from PAS that non-Muslim lifestyles will not be affected because they know that if PAS takes over the country, there will be dark clouds – and the beginning of an end to the life they enjoy now.

There will be no turning back, just like what happened in Iran and Afghanistan. While comparisons with these two nations may be unfair, PAS makes no apologies for its promotion of a strict, conservative Islamic lifestyle.

This is at odds with Malaysia’s more diverse urban fabric, and cosmopolitan non-Muslim communities fear social regression under PAS-style governance.

More importantly, PAS does not have enough leaders with strong academic credentials and corporate backgrounds.

The party structure is such that these leaders have to play second fiddle. It is the theologians who call the shots.

Surely voters, including Muslims, see the incompetence of these leaders in states like Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, and Terengganu which remain the country’s poorest. They see laggard economic development, limited job opportunities and a lack of infrastructure.

They see how Langkawi, once a thriving tourist spot, has deteriorated with even Kedahans preferring to cross over to Hatyai, Thailand, instead.

Most non-Muslims do not believe that PAS has any systematic transformation plan that includes them. Where are the inclusive, value-driven governance models and the public statements to improve the rights and roles of non-Muslims?

The non-Muslim PAS supporters are seen as lightweight token leaders, and worse, opportunistic.

The party has rightly dropped its controversial Perak chief, Razman Zakaria, after 13 years at the state’s helm, and replaced him with Bagan Serai MP Datuk Idris Ahmad.

Razman became notorious for making false statements, such as linking Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh to YTL Corporation Berhad, for which he later had to apologise when proved wrong. He also had to say sorry to DAP leader Nga Kor Ming after wrongly accusing the Teluk Intan MP of waving a China flag at a cultural event last year.

And let’s not forget that the party’s Kepala Batas MP Siti Mastura was ordered by a High Court to pay RM850,000 in damages to DAP leaders Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng and Teresa Kok for incorrectly linking them with the late Communist Party of Malaya leader Chin Peng and late Singapore premier Lee Kuan Yew.

If PAS is serious about wanting to win the confidence of non- Muslims, it has to engage more with non-Muslim organisations at all levels and spectrums. It should be prepared to collaborate on common platforms with multi-ethnic, multi-religious parties to promote common values that cut across all religions.

It needs to soften its hardcore Islamist stance, with its leaders showing they are ready to be present at non-Muslim cultural events.

But most important of all – are PAS leaders able to talk about economic issues and to promote enough trust and confidence that they are not merely experts in religion but also capable of taking Malaysia to the next level of economic development?

It’s hard to see that happening. Unfortunately, PAS continues to be perceived as a threat to Malaysia’s pluralism rather than a viable representative of non-Muslim interests.