SUPP TO JOIN FIGHT AGAINST DRUG MENACE

KUCHING: The growing problem of drug addiction has prompted the Sarawak
United People's Party (SUPP) Youth and Women movements to join hands to
take on the social menace.

They plan to organise a conference themed "Towards A Drug-Free Generation''
in January and a series of regional workshops and exhibitions state-wide
before that.

Youth leader and assemblyman Lee Kim Shin said the conference would involve
government agencies, non-governmental organisations and would be opened to
the public.

He said kindergarten and primary school teachers would be encouraged to
take part in workshops as they played a key role in educating the young on
the dangers of drug abuse.

"To attain a drug-free generation, we have to start at the kindergarten
level," he added yesterday.

Lee said the workshops would gather feedback on the drug abuse problems in
various regions and ideas on how to overcome them.

He said the findings and recommendations from the workshops would be
presented and discussed at the conference which would feature international
speakers.

Lee said although the drug problem in Sarawak was not serious, a concerted
effort involving all quarters was needed to effectively tackle it.

The situation in Kuala Lumpur, however, is quite bad.

Bernama reports that police detained 134 people suspected to be high on
Ecstasy in a raid on a discotheque in Pandan Indah, Ampang, at 5am yesterday.

The 80 men and 54 women, aged between 18 and 30, were detained at the
Ampang district police station pending the results of their urine tests.

Hulu Langat OCPD Asst Comm Zakaria Abdul Hamid said police also recovered
21 cigarette butts containing cannabis and an Ecstasy pill found on the
floor of the discotheque during the raid code-named Ops Hibur.

He said the entertainment outlet was operating without a licence.

A total of 16 policemen and three officers from the Ampang Narcotics
Department were involved in the four-hour operation.