Photography by Daniel Lee.
It is tough enough coming off drugs, but for recovering addicts, the next hurdle – and this might be the biggest one – is to fit back into society. Local non-profit organisation Payong is there to provide shelter and support for this difficult transition.
From 2000 to 2008, as many as 126,000 cases of drug abuse were reported in Malaysia. Each year brings approximately 14,000 new cases1. These drug abusers tend to be young – over 71% of them range from 25 to 29 years old2.
These starkly high numbers show that Malaysia’s punitive measures against drug traffickers and drug users – such as the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which states that suspects found guilty of using illicit drugs will be fined a minimum of RM5,000, face at least two years’ imprisonment, or both3 – have done little to alleviate the problem.
And decades of social exclusion have enhanced a stigma that will take many years to dissipate.
“We are not criminals, we are merely sick people” – that is the message the Penang Payong Association has been publicly advocating on behalf of drug users and ex-prisoners since it was established 13 years ago. The non-profit organization, driven by over 20 members and volunteers, is determined to help these social outcasts live a normal life again, despite the pervasive social stigma.
