Modular Infotech Pvt. Ltd. - DSpace

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. 2046. You could find Chinese miles from ch·ilizatioQ all on the
outskirts of Johore, I suppose ?-Yes.
2047. One of the terms of our reference is the question of the
possibility of introducing a system of registration and licensing of amokera,
and incidentally, the smokers are referred to in another part of the reference
as obviously being the Chinese adult male population. Would you think
yourself competent to introduce a system of registration of Chinese adult
inales in connection with opium smoking in Johore ?-No, I should not like to
do it.
2048. Do you think it would be feasible to register and licence every
opium smoker in Johore ?-No, I do not.
2049. That is to say you think it could not be made effective ?-Not
with the present staff.
2050. Or anything that you can see in the near future·?-That is so.
2051. You understand what is implied by that. In the two systems,
the registration and the licensing, a man would have to be registered first
and every time he went to make a purchase he would be either a coupon
holder or a book holder in which the purchase would have to be registered
at the time he made it. I suggest that the Chinese population of J ohore is,
when we talk of the back lands, rather scattered and that the supervision of
the shops up country would require to be very strict indeed in order to ensure
that the system was made effective ?-I do not think you could supervise
in the distant places.
2052. Take a town, for example, take Johore Bharu. Assume that
there was no emigrant popUlation. With a population like that and a ring
fence round it, do you think you could introduce a system like that?-Yes.
: 2053. Now I remove the ring fence, and there are coolies, when they
get their holidays visiting Johore Bharu in considerable numbers. Do you
think you could make it effective then in Johore Bharu so that nobody from
9utside could buy opium ?-It might be done in Johore Bharu.
2054. Supposing .you did that, these people who are just down for the
9ay,men who have just had their wages, they would have to have a purely
temporary permit or go without opium ?-That is so.
2055. Can you give temporary permits, do you think, to every
immigrant adult Chinese male into J ohore Bharu?-Y ou could, but the
amount of labour would be very great and all your permits would be forged
within ten days whether they were temporary or permanent.
2056. Where do you get the idea that they would be forged so
quickly?-From the example of the rubber coupons.
2057. Would you say, still talking of Chinese adult males, that the
Chinese adult male visitors to Johore Bharu, would, say, in the course of a
mC?l!th, amount to a considerable number or not ?-Yes, they would.
2058. Then, the issue of temporary permits and the re-collection of
those. permits as· they came in and went out respectively, would result in an
enormous amount of licencing work ?-Yes.
2059. If you do not get the temporary permit back, the temporary
permit will be passed on to another visitor ?-Yes .
. 2060.· But one of the things about a system of this nature is that there
must be no· passing on; they must be individual. That means, either
photography, or, that with which you are so familiar, finger prints. If you
are going to make an individual licence, you must make that either with
the" photograph or the finger print; you cannot think of any other system ?­
No finger print P.; the only efficient way of doing that.