I wish to congratulate PAS MP for Pokok Sena, Mahfuz Omar for exposing the scandalous decision of the Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) to invest the rakyat's money into tobacco, alcohol and gaming companies whose products and services are harmful to the bodies and psyche of the working classes of all races and their children. I wish also to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the PAS MP for successfully pressuring the immoral Barisan Nasional government to stop such immoral investment.

I wish also to object strongly the misrepresentation of "No-To-Islamic-State" that smoking, gambling and alcoholism are "cultural and constitutional rights" of non-Muslims ("Let's not adopt a 'Talibanistic' lifestyle", Nov 29). These bad habits and harmful lifestyles are not 'rights', cultural or constitutional. I hope the Consultative Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Sikhism would come out in a clear statement to reject such a claim. It should support PAS on this matter for the good of all.

This is certainly not a religious or ethnic issue. It has to do with the bodily and psychological health of all Malaysians. For years, the Indian community leaders have been campaigning to end alcoholism and gambling among the poor and downtrodden Indian working classes.

Alcoholism and gambling, to us, are escapist acts of the powerless and downtrodden. In the process of engaging in such unhealthy lifestyles, money are wasted and families broken. Children have no money to improve themselves educationally because of the alcoholic and gambling habits of their irresponsible parents, and criminal activities also thrive as a result.

And surely we still remember that smoking is bad for health?

Maybe PAS and other opposition MPs should further investigate into the possibility that Umno and BN are financially supported by the lobby interests of these companies.