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Sep 8 2008: Youth Criminal on the rise:Tiong

BINTULU: Crimes committed by young people in Malaysia are showing an increase when compared to last year’s figures. Member of  Parliament for Bintulu, Dato Seri Tiong King Sing, expressed concern over the rising trend as this is not good news for the nation.

He revealed that based on the study conducted by the police, there were 8,671 cases of young people, aged 18 and below, involved in crimes in the first nine months of this year compared to 6,611 cases reported for the corresponding period last year.

“15% of 1,669 cases of violent crimes were committed by young people and for homicide and murder, young people accounted for 5% of 473 cases.

 He pointed out that juveniles also involved in theft cases like stealing of motor vehicles and were responsible for 3% of 11,3939 theft cases and 6% for smuggling and drug trafficking cases.

He said that based on statistics for the same period, 216 cases of sexual crime out of 1,833 reported were committed by juveniles this year.

“Many parents may not realise that one in every 10 cases of sexual crime is committed by a juvenile,” said Tiong.

He revealed that he had come across two secondary students engaging in sexual activity at an isolated spot within their school vicinity.
Tiong expressed alarm over the incident as the students recorded their act with a hand phone camera and circulated the images.

He said he would bring up the issue with the relevant authorities.   Tiong also did not specify the breakdown of the figures by states or between peninsular and Sabah and Sarawak.

Speaking at the Mooncake Festival Dinner hosted by Bintulu Heng Hua Association at Tanjong Batu Beach Seafood Restaurant on Saturday, Tiong called on parents to instill moral and ethical values in their children to prevent them from indulging in unhealthy activities.

He said young people today had become materialistic and hedonistic and urged parents not to spoil their children.

He also stressed on the importance of practising filial piety so that such values would become the common norm in Chinese community.
Also present were Senator Pau Chiong Ung and Bintulu Heng Hua Association chairman, Kapitan Lu Boon Choi.