It is indeed sad that a prominent organisation such as the Malaysian Youth Council (MAYC) can accept sponsorship from tobacco companies. The reasons is obvious - the tobacco industry wants organisations like the MAYC to accept sponsorship so as to give it credibility as an industry with social responsibilities.

MAYC's acceptance of sponsorship from tobacco companies negates the government's effort to curb smoking, especially among the youth. MAYC, in representing the nation's youths should know better than that.

MAYC should have considered the government's five-year RM100 million Tak Nak anti- smoking campaign before accepting the sponsorship from the tobacco companies.

Malaysia has 4.6 million nicotine addicts and 10,000 Malaysians die every year of smoking-related diseases. In 2002, it was reported that the government spent RM4.8 billion to treat these diseases among Malaysians.

And according to the Health Ministry, 30 percent of males aged between 12 and 18 smoke.

Based on all these facts, MAYC is doing the nation a great disfavour by accepting sponsorship from the very industry whose primary target for destruction is MAYC's members.

Malaysians have yet to memorise two simple words, 'Tak Nak', to respond to the tobacco industry and its products.