PETALING JAYA: Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng has called on the authorities not to rest on their laurels after the arrest of seven teens over the fatal Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz school fire, saying the incident also showed an urgent need to tackle the scourge of drug use among youths.

The DAP legislator said the fact that the urine samples of six of the seven suspects had tested positive for ganja highlighted the alarming accessibility of drugs in the country.

He urged the police to find out who supplied the drugs to these kids and terminate the “food chain”.

“The first step should be to determine who sold ganja to the (suspected) ‘killer kids’, and whether these drug sellers may be charged as accomplices to the fire that killed 23 lives,” he said.

“Instead of announcing the arson-cum-mass murder case solved, the police have to now embark on a nationwide crackdown on at least two hideous crimes highlighted by these sad, senseless deaths,” he added, referring to the alleged arson and drug use.

“Is ganja so easily available on the streets for our kids to buy?” he said in a statement today.

Despite Malaysia having one of the most severe punishments for illegal drug offences in the world, teenagers in the country could easily get their hands on supplies, he said.

“And under the influence of drugs, they may be capable to burn their peers to death over ‘ejek-mengejek’ (being taunted),” he added.

“If kids can easily buy ganja, I shudder to think how much easier it will be for the adults to procure the same and other types of drugs in our country.”

Police in KL had yesterday said seven teenagers had been arrested over the tragic pre-dawn fire that killed 21 students and two teachers in the religious boarding school on Thursday.

City police chief Amar Singh said six of the suspects, aged between 11 and 18, had tested positive for ganja.

“We believe that they were motivated by revenge after they were taunted by the tahfiz school students, and wanted to get back at them,” he had said, declaring the case as solved.

Lim said the police must give priority to getting drug sellers off the streets to keep children and communities safe.

He asked how the schoolboys could afford to buy ganja, and if they were forced to undertake  jobs to earn extra money to fund their drug habit.

“If so, who gave them the money and what do they have to do in return for the money?

“The authorities must be more vigilant to assist in eradicating these activities happening in our schools,” he said.

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CCTV footage shows intrusion into school before fire started

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