Creative and imaginative - that's what Education Minister Hishammuddin Hussein should be doing in tackling the continuing disciplinary problems in schools, said DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang today.

He said Hishammuddin must resist the temptation for quick fixes and instead be more creative and imaginative to address the long-standing and deteriorating problem of school indiscipline and gangsterism.

"He can invite political parties and relevant organisations and representatives of the civil society, particularly parents, to seek solutions to restore a safe and crime-free environment in our schools, colleges and educational institutions for the young generation of Malaysians," he added in a statement.

Lim was responding to a recent move by the police to round up students who play truant. The move has been criticised by many quarters since the police are not empowered by the law to act against truancy.

The police later clarified that the they would not arrest but rather 'advise' students playing truant or loitering at malls and entertainment spots.

Not impressive

Lim said Hishammuddin should not pass the buck to the police on what was basically a test of the success of the educational system.

"Truancy is a school and not criminal problem," said Lim, who is also the member of parliament for Ipoh Timor.

He added that the minister was not doing enough to counter the gangsterism problem among students.

"Despite a lot of 'sound and fury', Hishammuddin has not impressed Malaysians that he is serious about discipline and gangsterism in schools."

The DAP leader said Hishammuddin's warning that there will be no place in the country's schools for students with disciplinary problems was not a solution for these problems.

"The expulsion of these students will only export the problem of school gangsterism to become gangsterism in society at large, without addressing and resolving the problem of a school environment which has become such a fertile ground to breed gangsters," he added.

According to police statistics, there were 5,320 crime cases involving students last year such as drug abuse, thievery, robbery, extortion, rape and murder. This was a 22.7 percent increase from 2002's figure of 4,200 cases.

SMS the minister

In a related development, Hishammuddin has asked those with any information on gangsterism or other disciplinary problems in schools to send him a Short Message Service (SMS) so that he could take immediate action.

The newly appointed minister said he would monitor all SMS messages sent using the number 33238 or 33ADU.

"As the SMSs will come directly to me, the public can be assured that there will be no cover-up of any incidents involving students in and outside schools," he was quoted as saying in the New Straits Times.

Apart from the SMS service, the public can also contact the minister through a telephone hotline (1-800-884774), fax or e-mai l .

Hishammuddin also revealed that thus far, his ministry has received 310 complaints via the telephone hotline, 120 complaints via e-mail and 130 through fax.

"Of the complaints received, 132 concerned wrongdoings by students, 84 by school administration, while 94 others were mere enquiries.

"We have so far acted on and completed reports on 24 complaints. Our findings showed that 18 were genuine, while the rest were baseless complaints," he added.