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.