Tuesday November 29, 2005
‘Bar smokers ‘from varsities’
A VICE-CHANCELLOR has made a radical proposal to ban smokers from getting enrolled at public universities as a move to ensure smoke-free campuses.
Universiti Malaysia Sabah vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Mohd Noh Dalimin said the idea might sound harsh but the suggestion was necessary as students so far had no qualms about puffing away, ignoring the Tobacco Products Control Regulation (Amendment) 1997.
Under the law, those who light up in no-smoking zones could be fined up to RM5,000 or jailed a maximum two years.
Kosmo! quoted Prof Mohd Noh as saying that smoking was difficult to curb among university students as they picked up the habit in school.
His proposal was supported by several vice-chancellors, including Prof Datuk Dr Ibrahim Abu Shah of Universiti Teknologi Mara, who agreed that stricter measures were needed when enrolling students.
He said this could be the first step towards ensuring the problem did not get out of control in the universities.
Prof Ibrahim added that university staff also mustn't smoke on campus and students should not hesitate to report those who do so to the management.
Utusan Malaysia reported that Malaysian fugitive Noordin Mat Top was believed to be one of those who had spread the radical Wahhabi teachings and formed the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) network in Malaysia under the guidance of Indonesian religious teachers Abdullah Sungkar and Abubakar Ba'asyir.
Abdullah was the founder of JI in Indonesia while Abubakar was his successor.
Noordin, who was Abubakar's student, was a senior JI operative, the daily said.
Noordin, who met them while studying under Abubakar in Serting, Negri Sembilan, was believed to have helped the two flee from the Suharto administration to Malaysia.
Intelligence sources told Utusan Malaysia that Abdullah and Abubakar were found to have spread the belief in secret at a surau in Banting, Selangor, while giving religious classes.
The source said they also taught at several other places on the west coast of the peninsula and at the same time recruited members for JI Malaysia.
“Abdullah and Abubakar then opened a madrasah (religious school) in Ulu Tiram, Johor, in the early 1990s and brought in religious teachers from Indonesia.”
“The students were children of JI Malaysia members from all over the peninsula,” the source said, adding that Noordin took charge of the madrasah when Abdullah and Abubakar returned to Indonesia after the fall of Suharto.
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