PADANG BESAR: As of June this year, 3,892 juvenile offenders have undergone the Community Service Order (PKM) since the programme was introduced in 2008.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim said of this, 2,851 had completed serving the order and the rest were still undergoing it.
She said this in the text of her speech which was read out by Perlis Women’s Development, Social Welfare and Community Unity Committee chairman, Rela Ahmad at the closing ceremony of the PKM Integration Camp at Felda Rimba Emas here yesterday.
A total of 103 participants from throughout the country took part in the three-day camp.
According to Rohani, the programme was effective as an alternative form of punishment to educate young offenders so that they could be accepted back into society.
“A study of the PKM’s effectiveness done by Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) found that 95.7 per cent of PKM’s trainees and former trainees agreed with the programme which they also said gave them the opportunity to improve themselves,” she said.
Rohani said the study which involved 608 former PKM trainees found that 62 per cent or 381 people had obtained jobs in various sectors, 3.6 per cent (22) pursued further studies, with one earning a degree in a local university and another in a foreign university.
The Social Welfare Department (JKM) was in the process of updating the data and profiles of former trainees to come up with the best strategy to help them, especially in career development including entrepreneurship.
She added that seven PKM trainees had been given capital grants up to RM2,700 each for various projects including tile installation, electrical wiring, upholstery sewing, curtain-making and hair saloon businesses.
The integration camp was the second held by the PKM, with the first last year in Felda Bukit Kuantan, Pahang.
The PKM is an alternative order for juvenile offenders, aged between 18 to 21 years, under Section 293(e)(i) of the Criminal Procedure Code, to provide guidance so that they did not repeat their offences and could return to society. — Bernama