SIBU: A committee has been formed to tackle juvenile social problems following the recent increase in criminal cases among the young, including drug abuse and gambling.
“The government, through the Cabinet Committee on Social Affairs chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, has directed me to form a committee to look comprehensively into how to address the juvenile and children social problems,” Deputy Home Affairs Minister Dato Sri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar told The Borneo Post yesterday.
He also disclosed that should his report be accepted and implemented, many areas of enforcement, prevention, rehabilitation, and counselling could be reinforced.
“We have had two meetings and the National Anti-Drugs Agency has to give its report to me before the next meeting.
“I will present my report to the Cabinet Committee in the next meeting.
“If my report is accepted and implemented, we expect to see some changes in many areas of enforcement, prevention, rehabilitation and counselling.
“The action summary is the collaboration with 21 Ministries, including Ministry of Education, Women, Social, Multi-Media, Youth, National Unity and Integration Department, public and private institutions of higher learning,” he said.
He was reacting to a Bernama report, where the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) had reportedly urged schools to report crime cases involving their students to the police.
MCPF vice-chairman, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, was quoted to have said a school’s reputation should not be made a priority at the expense of discipline and the safety of students.
MCPF, Bernama reported, also plans to establish more crime prevention clubs to the current number of 6,467 clubs nationwide.