MCA SETS UP PANEL TO TACKLE SOCIAL ILLS AMONG YOUTHS

KUALA LUMPUR: The MCA has set up a committee to tackle rising social-ills
among youths, particularly drug abuse. Committee chairman Datuk Chor Chee
Heung said the problems included taking Ecstasy pills and gambling.

He said a recommendation would be submitted to the party for consideration
in four months' time.

Chor, who is Deputy Home Minister, said it would take a hands-on approach
to get to the root of the problems.

He said the committee would be represented by the Youth and Wanita movement
besides state representatives.

Transport Ministry parliamentary secretary Donald Lim Siang Chai and
Energy, Communications and Multimedia Deputy Minister Datuk Tan Chai Ho
were roped in as advisers, Chor told reporters after the MCA presidential
council meeting here yesterday.

Chor said the committee would identify specific areas and conduct
investigations to understand the nature of the problems.

He said targeted areas include big towns where such problems were more serious.

Last week, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Ling Liong Sik said that party
leaders should go to places like pubs and discos to get a first hand look
at problems among the youth.

This came in the wake of wide coverage and commentaries in Chinese papers
recently on the increase in social problems among Chinese youths.

Police, meanwhile, denied a foreign wire report that Malaysia had still not
detected the source of supply of Ecstasy pills or centres producing
hallucinogenic pills in the country.

Bukit Aman public relations officer Supt Benjamin Hasbie said the Narcotics
Department's records showed it had always been sensitive to drug
distribution in the country.

The foreign news agency's report on April 28 was inaccurate and confusing,
portraying a negative perception to police efforts to cut the supply of
Ecstasy pills into the country, he said in a statement.

According to Bernama, Supt Hasbie said Bukit Aman and state Narcotics
Departments had made several arrests and raided premises processing Ecstasy
pills throughout last year and early this year.