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26u. Some people come here and say that 50 per cent of the Chinese
adults smoke opium; other people come and say it is only 10 per cent; some
say 20 per cent; some say 25 per cent; have you got any fancy percentage?­
No, I have not.
2612.' WOilld you be prepared to hazard a guess as to the number of
smokers in the Federated Malay States ?-No.
2613. Mr. Ielf.-On the figures as supplied by you in those returns,
you do not think you could estimate the total number of' smoker& ?-I think
you might, but I do not think it would be accurate.
2614. C"airman.-Have you seen the scheme by Mr. CHEAH CHEANG
LIM for registering opium smokers?-Yes, I have a copy here. .
2615. Do you think it is logical and feasible ?-No.
2616. If you were ordered to introduce such a system as this, yOOl would
consider that an essential preliminary was that the retailing should be
solely in the hands of Government,.at.any rate ?-That is my idea.
2617. In order to keep records of purchases by licenced opium smokers,
you would require additional staff in each shop ?-Yes.
2618. You would also require very considerable high class supervision
of these shops to check their records of sales with the permits ?-Yes.
2619. It seems to follow logically from Mr. CHEAH CHEANG LIM'S
scheme that a smoker should only be allowed to purchase at a specified shop.
Would it be possible to carry that out in the Federated Malay States ?-No,
it would be impossible with a man who travels. He could not be tied down
to one shop.
2620. Do you think that to identify the smoker. with his permit
a photograph of the smoker would be sufiU:ient, or would you require fingerprints?
--Finger-prints as well.
2621. If you requi're finger-prints, .every Government servant in charge
of a Government shop would have to have some knowledge of the fingerprint
system ?-Either that, or they would have to hand in their permits and
give notice that they were going to purchase a few days hence, so that the
finger-prints could be referred to the Registrar for identification.
2622. Another feature of this scheme, and a very important" feature;
is the surrender of licences and permits by licensees when going from one
Administration to another and from any Administration to China; what do
you think of the prospects of voluntary surrender?-Very small; they would
not take the trouble to hand them in.
2623. Can you conceive of a system of registration of opium smokers
without this system of licensing encumbering it; that is to say, leaving the
registered smokers to buy their own particular quota ?-I cannot.
2624. Supposing one said that nobody but a permit holder was allowed
to buy chandu at a licensed or a Government shop, what would be the result
of that? Do you think those who wanted to buy would all register ?-One
man who was ree-istered would buy sufficient for six people and the other 5
would not register at all.
2625. You think the nominee purchaser that would be brought in would
wreck that ?-Yes. .
2626. And that you would be no nearer the real number and the identity
of the smokers than you are at the present day?-No, certainly not. .
2627. Sir David Galloway.-The non-registered smoker would be buying
licit chandu i11icitly?-Quite so.
2628. Is it not the natural conclusion, seeing the race that we have got
to deal with, that they would very soon cease buying that and buy illicit
chandu i11icitly?-Yes. .
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