Member of Parliament for Bintulu, Dato' Seri Tiong King Sing JP said stricter laws and regulations should be imposed on the traffickers and young consumers of the ecstasy pills.  

Similar stricter'taws should also be imposed on gaming houses and video games arcades' operators who opened such premises and against their customers who frequented the premises.

He was responding to a statement issued by Deputy Home Minister Dato' Chor Chee Heung on the abundance of the ecstasy pills available in the market and the rampant usage of internet and slot machines that offer various types of gambling including the horse racing.

"As this problem is evidently prevalent among the Chinese youths, we should declare an all-out war against this social disease that has ruinously damage the roots of the society especially among the young generations.

"I urge community and religious leaders, non-govemmental organizations (NG0s) and all political parties including Mps and State Assembly,-men to take immediate actions to eradicate these two social diseases that have the potency in destroying the social structure of the community. We need a concerted effort to launch this social revolution in the hope of eradicating the problems at hand." he said.

Tiong said the political, community, and religious leaders, NGOS and parents should work together to complement the efforts by the authorities to stamp out these illegal activities, adding that the parents should pamper their children with too much freedom and they should also monitor their activities.

In a press statement after chairing the first MC.A committee on social disease yesterday, Dato' Chor had said the,, Horne Ministry was in the process of amending the Common Gaming House Act 1953 to extend the coverage on eradicating gambling on the Intemet and electronic gambling. 

The Ministry is also seriously considering a provision to increase the fines on offenders that would include the operators of the gaming premises and the gamblers themselves.

On the proposal to review certain provisions in the Act, Tiong said he fully supported the move, adding that the move was timely and it would give the authorities a larger power,but heavier responsibility in combating and putting a stop on these social diseases.

He also said the police should immediately increase enforcement operations to prevent the problem from worsening. "I am of full support for the enforcement but 1 have received information that certain quarters who had interests in the gaming houses have resorted to threats against the enforcement team."

"I just hope that these people should stop threatening the enforcement teams as it is part of their job. They operators should also show some respect to the law by ceasing to operate these electronic machines to the public especially to the youths," he said, adding that they should realize the long-term effects on the youths and those middle-aged men who indulged in gambling.

He added that the police and member of the public,should take this challenge in a concerted manner to put a stop on these illegal activities.

Tiong also said he had received reports and information about the availability of these electronic gambling machines including for horse racing and slot machines in Bintulu.

He advised the parents to monitor their children's activities and should help the authorities to stamp out these gambling activities. "Parents should not pass the responsibility to police or the authorities. They should check whether the children are indulging in gambling or using ecstasy pills," he said.

On the rampant usage and availability of ecstasy pills, Tiong said that the ill effects on the youths especially the students were tremendous and potentially dangerous on the users."

"If we don't act now, over the next 10 years or so down the line, we would then have a set of young generations, who are affected by the malaise that could cause them to unproductive and unhealthy," he said.

He said he had received information that the ecstasy pills were easily available in discos, nightclubs and other entertainment centers, day and night.

"I have been told that once a person takes the ecstasy pills, he or she will experience delirium and thrown into oblivion, causing the users to head-banging against loud-speakers while,, dancing to beat of the music," he said.  He added due to the extreme- delirium, the users had the tendency of involuntarily shaking their head like a pendulum as if they were still hearing music in their bend.

Tiong also urged the C-rovemment to impose stricter -Fines or jail terms to offenders especially those who trafficked the drugs or those who used the drugs...END