ARTM disapproves of tougher penalties for drug crimes

Augusto Nogueira

In response to the government’s intent to impose tougher prison sentences on drug abusers, the Drug Abusers’ Rehabilitation Association (ARTM) has argued that such action is not a solution that will discourage drug abuse.
The association’s president Augusto Nogueira suggested that the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS)’s draft amendment to the Drug Law is flawed and inadequate, especially concerning drug possession. He believes that the right way to curb drug abuse is to rehabilitate instead of penalize.
“The new law proposal, if approved, could mean that someone caught with one gram worth of drugs faces a five-year prison sentence. Meanwhile, a drug trafficker with one or two kilos of drugs, which is what happens in Macau, faces seven or eight years in prison. There’s a lack of balance here,” said Mr Nogueira, quoted by TDM.
The IAS sees the implementation of tougher penalties by the Drug Law as necessary, as it determined that the previous regulations failed to have a deterrent effect. The Bureau will submit its draft revision to the Legal Affairs Bureau.
Moreover, Mr Nogueira pointed out that the Legal Affairs Bureau might not be in favor of the part of the draft revision that entails awarding police authorities with higher powers and allowing forensic and medical examinations of suspected drug dealers or abusers.

Gov’t drops ‘residents home ownership’ plan

The government has decided to shelve its “Macau residents home ownership plan,” which was intended to provide a new option for residents who can neither afford to buy a commercial apartment nor qualify to apply for the government’s affordable housing.
The Housing Bureau announced last Friday that the plan has not received support from residents, and thus is not yet in a condition to be implemented.
The bureau has been involved in a controversy regarding the announcement of the measure. It admitted that it actually disclosed the decision a day early in a meeting, to which only two media organizations were invited, namely TDM and the    Macao Daily News.
Such a leak to selected media quickly drew criticism from reporters, as it indicates that it may be a common practice of the bureau in order to avoid questioning from the media on the government’s policies, thus harming competition in the news industry and infringing upon press freedom.
The University of Macau’s Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Agnes Lam, also responded yesterday that if the government is in the habit of classifying media outlets by providing big news only to pro-government media, it will not only violate some citizens’ rights to information but also damage the government’s image.  BY