ALL OUT WAR AGAINST THE ECSTASY SCOURGE GETS PUBLIC SUPPORT

PETALING JAYA: MCA's all out war on the Ecstasy menace received thumping
support from a wide sector of the society yesterday with many calling on
party leaders not to give in to threats by pushers.

Backbenchers Club president Datuk Dr Jamaluddin Jarjis said Malaysians "of
all walks of life" should support the agenda to wage war against the drug
menace.

"Any threat that can affect young Malaysians is something we should fight
against and MCA has addressed this issue," said Dr Jamaluddin who is the
Rompin MP.

The Malaysian Youth Council also lauded the move by the MCA to combat the
Ecstasy pill menace and pledged to include more Chinese youths in its own
anti-drug abuse campaign.

Council president Saifuddin Abdullah said the MCA had acted at the right
time because the Ecstasy menace was most prevalent among Chinese youths.

"I wish to commend the MCA because tackling the drug scourge should not be
the sole responsibility of the Government," he said yesterday.

Saifuddin noted that the council, with more than two million members aged
between 15 and 40 years old, had launched its own anti-drug campaign called
"Love Yourself and Others Campaign" in June.

He also said the Young Malaysian Movement, an affiliate comprising mainly
Chinese youths, had also launched its own anti-drug campaign recently.

Pemadam vice chairman Datuk Lee Lam Thye, in supporting MCA's effort, said
the abuse of Ecstasy had reached an alarming stage.

"We will hold talks and exhibitions in districts with the focus on Chinese
youths to stop this menace," he added.

National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary-general N. Siva
Subramaniam said its members would help spread the message of the dangers
of Ecstasy pills to students.

"We will ask teachers to highlight the problem and serious consequences of
the drug during lessons," he added.

Penang Ong Clan Kongsi (youth section) adviser Heng Teng Seong urged the
MCA leaders to stand firm despite receiving threatening telephone calls.

MIC information chief Komala Krishna Moorthy said the MCA had given the
issue the seriousness it deserves.

"We support and welcome the move," said Komala, adding that most youngsters
were lured into Ecstasy abuse partly because they were ignorant of the dangers.

MCA Youth, meanwhile, has urged non-governmental organisations to join the
party in fighting the menace.

Its vice-chairman Loh Seng Kok said the campaign should involve the
participation of all groups, urging university students to do their part by
educating the young on the dangers.

Seputeh MCA division legal bureau director Farn Seong Than urged
businessmen involved in distributing Ecstasy to stop intimidating MCA leaders.

"The very fact that such threatening calls were made against the MCA
leaders only shows that the campaign is taking effect and people are
responding positively," he said in a statement.

In Johor Baru, MCA councillors have been told to keep highlighting issues
relating to Ecstasy pills, illegal gambling and cybercafes in their areas
at bi-monthly meetings of district councils.

Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Jimmy Low said very often
enforcement officers were not aware of the problem.

Johor Baru is said to be the worst affected by the menace with about 2,500
youth taking the pill on any one night.

In Taiping, the municipal council pledged to work closely with the Larut
Matang and Selama District Office to fight the Ecstasy and gaming machine
menaces.

Council president Anwar Abdul Rahman said since the district office, which
issued entertainment licences, did not have enforcement personnel to check
the threat, "we will help them."

In Klang, Seri Kembangan state assemblyman Liew Yuen Keong, who had
received threats over the telephone, said the party must act as one to
fight these menaces.

"I have received threatening calls, anonymous callers who ask me to back
off and keep my mouth shut if I want to stay in one piece," he said.

Although the calls were received over his handphone, Liew said he could not
trace the calls because the numbers did not appear on his screen.

He said MCA could only win the war if party members were united and sincere
about eradicating the menaces.