REPORTING THE ADDICT: COVERAGE OF THE DRUG PROBLEM IN THE MALAY COMMUNITY FROM 1971 TO 2005

Abstract

The war on drugs by the Singapore government has been extensive and lengthy. While drug abuse was always a national concern, for most of Singapore’s post-independence history, the Malays have been the group that was disproportionately affected. This thesis examines the coverage of government discourse, from 1971 to 2005, through mainly the Berita Harian (BH), the sole daily Malay-language newspaper. It explores the development of the drug situation, which evolved from some degree of racial disproportionality to a drug problem that heavily but not exclusively—affected the Malays. This thesis delves into the key themes in the coverage of the drug problem in the Malay community. These topics include the stigmatisation of drug usage through Islam and important values in the community, the utilisation of gender to further stress the urgency of the situation, and the active promotion of Volunteer Aftercare Officers (VAO), which played a key role in the community’s fight against drugs. This thesis explores the various government responses to this drug problem, which included enforcement operations, rehabilitation structures, and legislative efforts through multiple amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act (MDA). Through opinion pieces and letters to editors, this thesis also delves into how the public responded towards these policies and the current drug situation. It also tracks community efforts to alleviate the drug problem among the Malays, which grew more coordinated and comprehensive over the years.