Malaysia to Drug Heavy Metal 'Cultists'

K U A L A  L U M P U R, Aug. 13, 2001 -- Malaysia will medicate

youths it says belong to a Satanic heavy metal music cult, a

newspaper said today.

About 150 alleged "Black Metal" members from 15 schoolswould begin a program used for drug addicts from Tuesday, theNew Straits Times said. "A private company will sponsor the treatment program.The medicine has been tested on drug addicts and found to beeffective in stimulating their thinking," said Fadzil Hanafi,an official in northern Kedah state. The government said last month it had unearthed a cultwhose members it said practiced animal sacrifice and destroyedreligious texts.

Malaysian Knights in Satan's Service?

A news conference chaired by Minister of National Unity andSocial Development Siti Zaharah Sulaiman showed pictures ofyouths dressed in black leather, heavy-metal garb, some withfaces painted black and white, reminiscent of the 1970s rockband Kiss. Some school officials in Kedah have carried out stripsearches on pupils in checks for tattoos, crucifixes wornupside-down and other symbols they said would identify studentsas cult members. Most "Black Metal" members are said to be ethnic Malays,who practice Islam. Malays and other Muslims make up about two-thirds ofMalaysia's 23 million population, with ethnic Chinese andIndians forming its other main groups.