JUNE 13 — Recently, the police disclosed how “Piu Piu”, a dangerous synthetic drug, was reportedly being mixed into vape liquids. The discovery has led Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay to call for an immediate ban of vaping devices. 

At first glance, this may sound reasonable as nobody wants dangerous drugs circulating in our communities, especially among young people. But the call to ban vape devices from the police begs a more important question: are we targeting the cause of the problem, or merely its most visible symptom?

Malaysia is notorious for knee-jerk reactions, where we address the symptoms but hardly tackle the root causes. The calls to ban vape following the discovery of fentanyl and other psychoactive chemicals into vape liquids, is just one example. 

Prior to this, the Government had banned those under 16 years of age from accessing social media. No one is questioning the Government’s intention of protecting the young from exposure to undesirable content such as pornography or subjecting them to cyber bullying. 

But experience from other countries like Australia, which pioneered such a ban, had found out that the results were mixed at best, and ineffective at worst. Millions of underage accounts may have been removed on paper, but users still found ways around the restrictions. 

The author argues that calls to ban vaping devices in response to the discovery of synthetic drugs in vape liquids risk addressing only the symptoms rather than the underlying causes of the problem. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Rather than imposing a blanket ban, policymakers could have focused on promoting digital literacy in schools and improving parental education to help young people navigate the online world more responsibly.

They could also compel social media companies to provide greater transparency on how their algorithms work, particularly how content is recommended to young users. This can reduce exposure to addictive behaviour, harmful content or excessive screen time to the young. 

The same can be said about the police’s urgency in wanting to ban vaping devices. In the case of “Piu Piu”, the real issue is not the vape device itself. The issue is the existence of drug syndicates willing to exploit any product to distribute dangerous substances. If criminals are mixing harmful chemicals into vape liquids, that is first and foremost a law enforcement problem.

Just like Australia’s experience with underage social media usage, banning vape products may create the appearance of decisive action, but does little to address the root cause.Worse, it risks pushing existing users towards the black market, where products are completely unregulated and even harder to monitor, to say nothing of losses in government revenue through taxation.

There is also the question of harm reduction. While vaping is not risk-free, many adult smokers have used it as an alternative like heated tobacco to quit cigarettes. Removing legal and regulated products from the market could leave some users with fewer options, while simultaneously creating opportunities for illicit operators to thrive.

And who can forget the Government’s short-lived proposal to ban those under 16 from owning handphones or to ban the computer game, Roblox? This stemmed from violence in schools and exposure to harmful social media content.

Thankfully, they were not carried out but these episodes clearly demonstrate the Government’s tendency towards knee-jerk policymaking. Government decisions need to be based on sound principles that address root causes, and not just look into the symptoms. 

In the case of “Piu Piu”, the real enemy is not the device. It is the syndicate. If we keep mistaking symptoms for causes, we may end up banning more things while solving very little and making a fool of ourselves.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.

ISKANDAR PUTERI, June 15 — Integrity and trustworthiness must continue to serve as the cornerstone of every level of the security forces to ensure public confidence in law enforcement institutions is maintained, said Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.

He said the strength of an organisation does not depend solely on physical facilities, buildings or sophisticated assets, but is determined by the integrity and honesty of its personnel.

According to him, an organisation may possess extensive experience, skills and complete assets, but without integrity, all of these hold little value.

“The true strength of an organisation lies in the honesty of each of its members. If integrity collapses, no matter how advanced the facilities it possesses, public trust will be lost.

‘If we lose wealth, we lose nothing. If we lose health, we lose something. But if we lose character, we lose everything. That is why integrity and moral values are so important in life,” he said when officiating the opening of the Iskandar Puteri district police headquarters (IPD) here today.

Also present was Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad.

Elaborating further, Ayob Khan said the trust placed in every member of the force must always be safeguarded and should never be compromised.

At the same time, he stressed that there would be no tolerance for abuse of power, corruption or any form of disciplinary misconduct that could tarnish the image of the force and undermine public confidence.

“Never use rank as a shield against legal action. Anyone who betrays the public trust must face appropriate action, regardless of position or rank,” he said.

In a related development, he said today’s security challenges are becoming increasingly complex, with authorities no longer dealing solely with conventional crimes but also facing emerging threats such as cybercrime, online scam syndicates, cross-border smuggling and transnational crime.

In this regard, he said the police force must continue to strengthen its operational and investigative capabilities through a more proactive, swift and data-driven approach to ensure public safety remains safeguarded. — Bernama 

KUCHING, June 6 — The Independent Police Conduct Commission (IPCC) provides an alternative platform for the public to lodge complaints related to police misconduct, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay said.

He said that previously, most complaints involving police misconduct were handled by the Royal Malaysia Police’s (PDRM) Integrity and Standards Compliance Department (JIPS).

“The IPCC is another channel available to the public. Previously, JIPS was the only avenue, and some people may have felt uncomfortable because they perceived it as the police investigating the police. However, the situation is now different.

“The IPCC operates under the Home Ministry and has its own officers to conduct investigations into complaints received,” he told reporters after attending the launch of the book Integrity: Man of Integrity, Honour and Principle here today.

The IPCC is an independent oversight body established under the Independent Police Conduct Commission Act 2022 (Act 839) and has been operational since July 1, 2023. It aims to enhance integrity within the police force, investigate misconduct involving PDRM personnel and recommend disciplinary action.

The commission handles complaints involving misconduct such as corruption and torture, while also recommending improvements to strengthen public confidence in the police force. — Bernama

Pejasar posted a photo: