IPOH, Sept 26 — Hotels need to be more careful when accepting large-event bookings to safeguard against criminal activities such as drug parties, Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) senior vice-president Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said.
He said hotels should get more information about such events when bookings are made, as they should be responsible and ensure criminal activities are not carried out on their premises.
He also pointed out that drug parties could damage the hotels’ image.
“It is unfair to blame the hotels alone, because they will accept bookings from a business standpoint. But they can still ask what the function is all about,” he told Malay Mail.
“By finding out more details about the event, they can prevent incidents like the recent drug party held in a hotel here from happening.”
Lee was commenting on Malay Mail’s front-page report on how drug party organisers were pulling in youthful crowds using social media applications.
The latest incident took place in Ipoh when police raided a party at a hotel there and arrested 62 people, who tested positive for drugs, including a 20-year-old polytechnic student.
One person was detained with a suspected Ecstasy pill in his possession, while police found seven Ecstasy pills and 33.5gm of marijuana at the premises.
Police revealed that the party was advertised on social media apps like WhatsApp, WeChat, and Instagram.
Asked whether the authorities should consider policing such apps, Lee said this required a balancing act between the law and privacy needs.
“This is something under the control of the Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC),” he said.
“However, there are boundaries when it comes to privacy. We need to thrash out what is defined as action in the public interest and what is defined as individual privacy.”
Lee also expressed concern on the issue of drug abuse among youths, calling it “very disturbing”.
“The question is, how are these youngsters coming into drugs? Are they being influenced to do so and are they being targeted by syndicates?”
Crime analyst Kamal Affendi Abdul Hashim said the onus was on property owners to prevent their premises from being misused for criminal activities.
He said it was important for those offering lodgings to ensure that conditions are set and signed between the tenant and the owner.
