Oleh PAK TAM
Bagai diduga, bukan saja golongan ulamak, malah ketua-ketua
agama bukan Islam pun turut menentang langkah baru kerajaan untuk
mengurangkan jangkitan HIV, terutama mengagihkan kondom secara percuma
kepada penagih dadah.
Semalam, Menteri Kesihatan memaklumkan, sebagai permulaan, kementerian
itu akan menjalankan projek perintis selama enam bulan di bawah Program
Pengurangan Kesan Buruk, membabitkan 1,200 penagih dadah, terutama
mereka yang mengambil dadah melalui suntikan, dengan memberikan mereka
jarum suntikan, kondom dan dadah gantian yang dipanggil "methadone".
Di bawah ini saya petik kenyataan tokoh-tokoh agama, seperti
disiarkan akhbar NST mengenai cadangan itu:
Perak mufti Datuk Seri Harussani Zakaria:
"The distribution of condoms is going to encourage illicit sex
among people with HIV. It is fine if a married couple uses condoms.
"The distribution of needles is going to encourage more people
to inject themselves with drugs.
"Is the distribution of condoms and clean needles really going
to solve the problem of HIV transmission? I still believe the solution
is to quarantine those suffering from HIV and AIDS so that they will
not pose a threat to society."
Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur Reverend Murphy Pakiam:
"The Catholic Church does not encourage this and does not see
it as a solution. More effort must be made to educate people and to
reach out to those living with HIV instead of shunning them.
"This method is a form of compromise and it will not help at
all."
Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity,
Hinduism and Sikhism president Harcharan Singh:
"Why give (HIV positive drug addicts) a context to have sexual
relations? The move is like the Government giving the go-ahead to have
sex. Instead of encouraging them, the Government should educate people
on how the disease spreads.
"If someone knows he is HIV-positive, he should be responsible
enough to not infect someone else.
"If a husband who is HIV-positive wants to protect his wife,
then by all means, use a condom. But if someone wants to have fun, then
it should not be condoned."
Datuk A. Vaithilingam, president of the Hindu Sangam:
"Condoms should only be used to save lives. If the husband is
infected and he doesn’t want to infect his wife, then okay. But I’m
against the free distribution of condoms."
Jakim director-general Datuk Mustafa Abdul Rahman:
"If an HIV-positive man uses the free condoms to protect his
wife against the disease, then it is a good move by the Government. I
do not want to comment on the distribution of clean needles."
Apa pun, saya kira kenyataan Ketua Pengarah Jakim, berbanding
tokoh-tokoh lain, "cukup lembut dan tidak memadai". Apakah hanya kerana
beliau seorang pegawai kerajaan, maka sebarang cadangan dari kerajaan,
walaupun jelas songsang dan karut, tidak berani dibantahnya.
Benar, langkah pencegahan perlu bagi mengelak kemudaratan lebih
teruk, tapi apa kenanya dengan langkah mengedarkan kondom percuma itu,
walaupun kepada penagih dadah bergelar suami. Tentu ada jalan lain
mendekati golongan terbabit, bagi mempastikan si isteri tidak menjadi
mangsa seterusnya.
Seks bebas sudahpun menjadi krisis yang makin membarah. Jangan
hendaknya disiram petrol ke atas api yang sedia menyala. - UM
