SHAH ALAM: The Selangor Pardons Board said today that it would not grant
pardons “easily and arbitrarily” in cases involving drugs.
Each case seeking a pardon would be thoroughly scrutinised depending on
the sentence meted out by the court, said Selangor deputy state
secretary (management) Mazalan Md Noor, who is also secretary of the
board.
The board would take into consideration the threat posed by drugs to
national security and its effects on society as a result of trafficking,
he said in a statement.
He said the board found that there had been many cases seeking pardon
involving the trafficking of synthetic drugs, particularly
methamphetamine.
The board was concerned about the increased trafficking of synthetic
drugs via the airports in the state, namely the KL International Airport
(KLIA) and klia2, he said.
Mazalan said the board was also concerned about the smuggling of drugs
into the country by Malaysians and foreigners through various deceptions
at the airports.
“The board is most concerned with the trend of increasing cases of
trafficking in synthetic drugs because if these drugs filtered through
the security control at the airports, it would be detrimental for the
people of Selangor in general and those who consumed the drugs in
particular,” he said.
He said it was public knowledge that synthetic drugs had an undesirable
effect on the mental and physical health of individuals who consumed
them, such as hallucinations and delusions as well as nerve and brain
damage, besides health effects such as sudden weight loss and even
death.
Furthermore, he said, peace and public order were undermined by the
increase in crime such as murder, robbery, theft and other social
phenomena due to drug abuse.
“As such, the board strongly reminds the local community and foreigners
in Selangor to refrain from getting trapped in the smuggling,
trafficking and abuse of drugs and other offences,” he said. -FMT