PM: PUNITIVE STEPS NEEDED TO FIGHT DRUG SCOURGE

PERTH: Punitive measures like the death penalty for drug trafficking
are needed to eradicate the scourge, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
said.

"The death sentence is the right punishment for drug traffickers.
There has been enough suffering from drug addiction," the Prime
Minister told the Australian media at a press conference here yesterday.

"Drugs are a threat to the well-being of society. We cannot tolerate
this any more. Singapore also cannot tolerate this, neither can other
countries."

He said this when asked whether the penalties imposed by Asean
countries for drug-related offences were too harsh.

Abdullah said the fight against the drug scourge was an endless
battle, with addicts often picking up the habit again after
rehabilitation.

"Drug addiction leads to other crimes. At the beginning, addicts may
take money from their parents' wallet. This then leads to more serious
crimes as drugs are not cheap," he said.

"The only way to fight the drug scourge is take preventive and
punitive measures, including imposing the death penalty on
traffickers.

"We have to resort to doing things based on our own environment and
the complexities that we live in."

To another question, Abdullah said the Jemaah Islamiah movement was a
threat to stability.

"They are a threat because they advocate terrorism. They want to
promote changes the way they want them to be," he said.

Abdullah, replying to another question, said terrorism was not only
the monopoly of Muslims. "Others have resorted to this tragedy as
well. Extremism is always the work of a minority in society," he said.