Gangsterism among Indian Malaysian youths have been a major concern for the community leaders and one non-governmental organisation is taking concrete steps to address this issue. The MIC’s community service organisation, Yayasan Strategik Sosial, has put in place various strategies to reach the high risk youths to steer them away from gangsterism.

According to YSS executive director Dr Denison Jayasooria, the movement has introduced a strategy known as five levels of intervention to prevent the involvement of these youths in anti- social and gang activities. "YSS has identified the section of high-risk Indian youths who have been arrested by the police but not charged. This group is vulnerable and need preventive intervention," he said. The various methods of intervention implemented by YSS is detailed in the organisation’s annual report which was published last month.

Dr. Denison Jayasooria

Job attachments

Among the strategies implemented are mobilising community support groups to play social control and support roles; family support programmes; and business development programmes for the wayward youths.

For youths in police custody, YSS have implemented prison and detention centre visits and motivational programmes. "And for youths just back from police custody, we provide them with temporary facilities such as drop-in centres and half-way homes," said Jayasooria.

He added that these youths are also invited to join other programmes to reconcile them with the families. "We also look for job attachments for them so that they can integrate into society." YSS works with various other Indian-based organisations to reach these youths to implement its social programmes. Similar partnership is also in place for all YSS programmes.

Community programmes

Gangsterism among Indian youths have reached an alarming level and this is largely due to the poor living standards and low education level. Most of these youths are from squatter areas around the Klang Valley. According to the latest police figures, there are about 38 Indian gangs with a membership of 1,500 nationwide. These are involved in drug trafficking, robbery and extortion.

Statistics also showed that 40 percent of the serious crimes in Malaysia were committed by Indians and that Indians record the highest number of those detained under Emergency Regulations and banished to Simpang Renggam Prison.Realising that the absence of a well co-ordinated urban neighbourhood is a factor for the prevalence of social ills, YSS has also initiated community development programmes, said Jayasooria. He added that these programmes are organised to bring local members of the neighbourhood together to mould community relations.

Government funding

YSS was formed five years ago with the purpose of "influencing policy makers and initiate effective interventions for the development of the Indian community".

Its vision is to transform the Indian Malaysian community towards self reliance, said Jayasooria.

To do this effectively, YSS had requested a RM20 million allocation in 2000. The government began releasing the funds progressively since June 2001.

The first batch of funds, totaling RM2.7 million was made available for the implementation of social programmes from June 2001 to July 2002.

"With this cash, YSS carried out 569 activities reaching 72,018 people. Activities were organised nationwide with 56 percent of the activities conducted in the Klang Valley," added Jayasooria.

A second grant of another RM2.7 million was released this February for programme implementation between October 2002 and September this year.

"For this, we propose to carry out 647 activities reaching out to more than 42,000 people. The bulk of it will be towards youth and community development programmes," he added.