Vice President Faisal Naseem has met with officials from Singapore’s Central Narcotics Bureau and Singapore Prison Services.

This morning’s meeting was part of his visit to Singapore to discuss strategies relevant to combating illicit drug trafficking and discouraging and preventing their use.

President’s Office said that the Singaporean officials provided the Vice President Naseem with an overview of their country’s highly effective prison rehabilitation program that prioritizes providing convicts with career-relevant skill sets and helping them find job-opportunities once out of prison so that they can be reintegrated into society as responsible and law-abiding members once more. Following their presentation, the officials provided the Vice President with a tour of Singapore’s Drug Rehabilitation Center.

Drug-use among the youth has been a burgeoning issue in the Maldives for the past several decades, which has, in turn, contributed to several other social challenges. This administration will be proactive in addressing the issue by improving our own law enforcement and rehabilitation programs; in this endeavor we are greatly assisted by the expertise and support provided by countries such as Singapore, which has made notable strides in rehabilitation.