KAJANG, Jan 5 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail today announced that the National Anti-Drug Agency achieved a success rate of 71 per cent with its In-community Treatment and Rehabilitation Programme last year.

Supplementary information given by the agency showed that the above fraction equated to 12,212 clients — out of 17,151 studied — who managed to overcome their addiction and continued to stay away from drugs after going through the programme.

"I have urged the agency to increase the success rate target for next year to 75 per cent,” Saifuddin said during a press conference at the agency’s headquarters here today.

The programme’s success rate last year was 65 per cent.

Currently, the programme is treating a total 44,754 people via 109 district agency offices nationwide.

"Among the agency’s strengths is that they collect granular data that is very precise.

"The individual's background, such as whether they are employed or not, employed by private institutions or the government, income level, education level, family background, whether they volunteered for rehabilitation or via the court decision process,” Saifuddin Nasution said.

He said that this data collection has allowed the agency to form a "predictive model” that helps the agency refine their programme.

Saifuddin Nasution added that the agency was also working with institutions such as Universiti Malaya on drug rehabilitation-related research.

"While I understand that the expectations and hopes of the citizens are high because drugs are affecting a large portion of households, we should give space to the National Anti-Drug Agency.

"They can only succeed if they get the full support of every single citizen,” he said.

Today Saifuddin Nasution visited the agency’s headquarters for the first time since taking office as home minister last month, and was given a tour of its facilities and initiatives.