Malaysia hounded by social maladies

Malaysia hounded by social maladies

Samsudin A Rahim looks at some disquieting social trends in
Malaysia.

Malaysia's economic growth is expected to exceed 8 per cent in
1995. The Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, should have been
elated with this figure. Yet he did not appear so.

Dr. Mahathir is unhappy with the quality of life in Malaysian
society, even though its economic prospects are good. In his New
Year speech, the prime minister reminded Malaysians of the
importance of curbing social ills such as loafing and idling,
bohsia (teenaged girls who involved themselves in free sex), and
drug abuse, especially among youths.

In Malaysia, youth is defined as those between 12 and 40 years
old. This group represents 3.5 million of the total Malaysian
population of 18 million. According to the Minister of Youth and
Sports, Haji Abdul Ghani Othman, issues related to youth deserve
serious attention from the government. This is because youths are
the nation's asset, a vital human resource to promote and further
economic growth.

Behavior such as idling or loafing, wasting time for mere
enjoyment in public places are considered at variance with
national aspirations.

A nation-wide survey on loafing by youths conducted by the
Ministry of Youth and Sports with the cooperation of six local
universities found that, on average, a youth spends 16.3 hours a
week idling in public places. In traditional villages and land
settlement areas, the figure reached a startling 28.4 hours per
week.

The findings of this study received mixed reactions from the
public. Some pointed out that all strata of society are involved
in some kind of loafing or another as a form of leisure. In the
1960s and 1970s, much was said about villagers spending their
time in idle conversation at coffee shops. Thus, why is this
idling issue a seemingly overblown concern now?

The government's serious attention to the issue may be viewed
in various perspectives. Youths who are idling are not unemployed
individuals as Malaysia has achieved full employment. Most of the
loafers are students and workers at factories and construction
sites. They have not as yet realized their fullest potential.

Youths should not be satisfied with semi-skilled occupations.
They need to push themselves towards upgrading and improving
their skills. In the future, the country's competitive edge in
attracting foreign investments will depend on the skills of its
human resources and no longer on cheap or low wages.

Concern for the issue is also related to the probability of
youths engaging in deviances and unlawful activities that will
eventually lead to their moral decadence.

Dr. Mahathir once said that Malaysia aspires to be a developed
nation, but at the same time Malaysians must retain positive
traditional values, especially a stable and strong family
structure.

A significant finding that worried both the public and the
government, was the occurrence of deviant behavior. Forty percent
of the 6,110 respondents admitted that their friends watched
obscene movies, 39 per cent read indecent materials and 18
percent indulged in premarital sex. In a Muslim society, these
figures are very worrying indeed. In addition, the majority in
the sample were Muslim youths.

The manifestation of this malady can be seen from the increase
in the rate of abandoned babies born out of wedlock. In 1988, 18
cases were reported. The rate increased to 55 cases in 1993 and,
up to October 1994, 34 cases were reported. The situation for
bohsia is getting more attention than before. Police reported
that in 1993 a total of 375 underaged girls were saved from
prostitution.

Other respondents said they consumed alcoholic drinks (25 per
cent), used drugs (14 per cent) and smoked cigarettes (71 per
cent).

Although the government has increased its anti-smoking
campaign, there are still many youths who are smokers. Studies in
the West indicate that youths who are involved in drug abuse
began by smoking cigarettes. According to a report, there are
currently 180,000 registered drug abusers receiving treatment in
rehabilitation centers. It is expected that for one registered
abuser, there are three unregistered, making for some 500,000
drug abusers in the country.

Because of all this, it has become obvious that loafing should
not be taken lightly. Uncontrolled loafing may lead to other more
acute social problems.

Loafing can be said to be symptomatic of pressures faced by
the family in the development process. Among the reasons said to
cause loafing among youths is the lack of parental supervision.
The survey found that youths did not consider their time loafing
as precious time wasted. The survey also found that youths who
have low self-esteem spent more time loafing compared to those
with higher self-esteem.

This phenomenon has long plagued developed countries. A report
released by Unicef in 1993 indicated that, globally, parents were
spending less and less time with their children, about 10 to 12
hours a week less than in 1960. This reduced time they spent with
their children did not enable them to help their children through
their impressionable years, building self-confidence and self-
esteem, and nurturing discipline and mutual respect.

Pressures on the family system and relationships have also
caused developed countries to experience more school dropouts,
weak performance, physical and sexual abuses, suicides,
alcoholism, drug abuse, lovelessness, demoralization and
disillusionment.

These are the social maladies that Malaysia is trying to
avoid. To ensure a good quality of life along with rapid economic
growth, the government has allocated M$ 176 million in the 1995
budget for the Rakan Muda (Friends of the Youth) program. This
program is the government's major attempt to cope with and cure
social ills among youths in the country.

The government has also allocated another M$ 104 million for
sports facilities such as sports complexes to encourage youths to
participate in sport. The private sector is expected to
contribute another M $153 million to provide facilities for
youths to engage in physical and spiritual activities during
their free time.

Rakan Muda offers 10 quality activities, such as martial arts
and self-defense, sports, culture, innovation, recreation,
conservation and community service, that youths may participate
in to spend their time usefully. Rakan Muda hopes to inculcate
self-confidence and self-esteem among youths. This month-old
program started off well and received good participation from
youths of all ages.

Dr. Mahathir has made plain that the Malaysian government does
not mean to dictate to Malaysia's youths and prevent them from
enjoying life. However, the government is attempting to lead them
towards healthier and more constructive activities while at the
same time providing enjoyment.

Development has its costs. Government leaders are ready to
accept the fact that Malaysia's rapid economic growth is not
balanced by similar social development.

Malaysians are advised not to ignore their parental
responsibilities as they pursue the luxuries of life. When
parental duties are given less value and weight compared with
economic pursuits, it will adversely affect the quality of life
of Malaysian youth and thus the future of the country.

Professor Samsudin A Rahim is Deputy Dean of the Faculty of
Social Science and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Window: A survey found that, on average, a youth spends 16.3 hours
a week idling in public places.