theSun | MONDAY AUGUST 17 2009 7

news without borders

Dinner to cement
ties among
Chinese groups
ASSOCIATED Chinese
Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (ACCCIM) Press Digest
has invited the leaders of by Kong See Hoh
three major Chinese groups newsdesk@thesundaily.com
– Hua Zong, Dong Jiao Zong
and Seven Major Clans As-
sociation – to a dinner gathering in Kuala Lumpur
tonight to further cement their ties.
The timing of the gathering, hot on the heels of
ACCCIM’s call to its members to part ways with
Chinese assembly/town halls, begs the question
– is it a roundtable talk, an interaction session or
a table talk?
Despite the apparent split between ACCCIM
and Hua Zong (Federation of Chinese Associa-
tions of Malaysia), their leaders Tan Sri William
Cheng and Tan Sri Lim Gait Tong have openly US man
stated that they are maintaining a cordial rela- in Suu
tionship and today’s gathering is aimed at further Kyi case
strengthening the good ties among the major
Chinese groups. deported
According to a report in Sin Chew Daily yes- pg 10
terday, ACCCIM vice-president Ter Leong Yap
said Cheng and Lim have never been at odds with
each other.
“The meeting is an interaction to seek consen-
sus on how to enhance cooperation and opera-
tional strategies among the groups.
“It is a small gathering and only leaders of Hua
Zong, (education movement) Dong Jiao Zong and
Seven Major Clans Association are invited.”
Lim said he will definitely attend the meeting.
On the aim of the meeting, Lim said: “It is he
(Cheng) who is hosting the meeting, we don’t
know if there is any agenda.”

briefs
Groups want return
of Bahasa Melayu
KANGAR: The Perlis Writers’ As-
sociation yesterday urged the
government to revert the usage
of the term Bahasa Malaysia
(BM) to its original term, Bahasa
Melayu.
“We do not have the intention
to deny the 1Malaysia concept
but we want to continue uphold-
ing Bahasa Melayu as a sovereign
language in this country and to
return its function as the official
language,” the association’s prin-
cipal leader Muhammad Harun
said in his speech at its 38th an-
nual general meeting here.
He added that Bahasa Melayu
has been widely spoken for a long
time and had become a sovereign
language. – Bernama
Agency to help
reformed addicts
KUCHING: The National Anti-
Drug Agency (AADK), with
the cooperation of private
companies and organisations,
will identify the types of jobs
suitable for former drug ad-
dicts in a bid to reduce street
crimes by 20%.
Its director-general, Datuk
Abd Bakir Zin, said the job
placement programme,
aimed at ensuring that drug
addicts under the agency’s
supervision would not return
to addiction, was among
several moves discussed at
the Narcotic Addiction Re-
habilitation Centre (Puspen)
commandants’ meeting, here
yesterday.
“Apart from the stigma that
most drug addicts are involved
in crimes, there is also a risk
that 27% of the drug addicts
under the agency’s supervi-
sion would return to addic-
tion because they are mostly
unemployed and can hardly
support themselves,” he told
a press conference after the
meeting.
As a result, ADK has taken
the initiatives to turn the Pus-
pen in Sepang, Selangor, into
a special training and skills
centre for these drug addicts.
There are some 7,000
Puspen inmates nationwide,
including 125 in Sarawak.
– Bernama
3 soldiers tested
positive for drugs
KUALA LUMPUR: Three soldiers
and 30 women were among
111 people detained when they
tested positive for drugs in raids
at two entertainment outlets
early yesterday.
A source from the police said
the soldiers and three others,
including a woman, all in their
20s and 30s, were detained in a
raid at a karaoke centre on Jalan
Ampang at about 2.30am.
The others, aged between 20
and 62, were detained in a raid at
an entertainment outlet in Bandar
Sri Damansara at about 4.30am,
he added. – Bernama