An Agenda For Change The Youth Chapter

Keynote address by Dato’ Seri S. Samy Vellu, MIC President at the The MIC National Workshop for Divisional Youth Leaders and the Launch of the Anti-Violence Campaign, held on October 8, 2000 at Dewan Nethaji, Kuala Lumpur This leadership workshop for 120 Divisional Youth leaders is to chart a new image and agenda for youths. I congratulate the Youth section for their commitment to chart a new course of action to alleviate the problems of the younger generation.

The MIC is disturbed by the growing trend of social and moral deterioration among the younger generations. It tales a serious view of the latest police statistics that show a very high percentage of Indian youth involvement in criminal and gang-related activities.

This workshop is organised to make youth leaders understand the seriousness of the problem and to prepare them to deal with it in an organised manner.

Youth Moral Decay – The Background
The Malaysian Indian population is only 10 percent of the total population and yet the younger generation has earned a bad reputation for criminal activities. Many have been misled and fallen pray to bad elements. Displacement from the estates has taken a heavy toll on the community. Many were unable to gain suitable employment because they only had skills in rubber tapping. Historically, they were captives of estate life where they could not obtain good secondary education. Some did not even complete primary education and were forced to work to make ends meet. The estate management were happy with the continued availability of unskilled and uneducated workforce.

After independence, many estates were converted to industrial estates and many estate workers were unable to meet the skilled workforce requirements or find suitable jobs. Many drifted to urban areas and became low-paid odd job workers and squatter dwellers. As the adults went to work, the children were recruited for criminal activities by bad elements.

The Harsh Realties (Past & Present)
Addressing the issue of crime and violence among Indian youths is not easy. A major study has to be carried out on the root causes. In my opinion the parents must bear the responsibility to a major extent for the situation. There are also historical and social factors that have an impact the family. The causes for anti-social and deviant behaviour are multiple due to the impact of urbanisation, early dropout from school, lack of opportunity for skills training and employment.

Parents need to be aware of what is going on in the lives of their children. If young people cannot communicate their concerns and problems to someone significant at home or at school, they could make a negative decision to join a gang which will affect them the rest of their lives.

Charting the Future of Youths

Although the MIC has taken several steps in providing education and socio-economic projects we feel that the magnitude of the youth problems cannot be singularly handled by an organisation like the MIC. It must be addressed as a national concern with strong Government intervention. We need to chart new directions for the misplaced energy and great potential of our youths who are presently trapped in crime and violence. The creation of a new agenda is imperative and should instil new hope and avail new possibilities for the future. This is the direction the MIC and leaders like you have to adapt to enable, encourage and empower a new generation of youths who will strive towards tapping their own potential for self-achievement.

The Workshop & Its Objectives
The MIC, being the only party representing the aspirations of the Indians, understands its social obligations to

its community and nation. This workshop is organised with the full cooperation of YSS to fulfill the following

objectives:
To consider the complexities of the social problems faced by Malaysian Indian youths, with specific reference to crime and gang activities.

To formulate an action plan to mobilises community response and action in addressing these problems in their local neighbourhood.

To launch a new Youth Charter to transform the image of Malaysian Indian youths and enable them to benefit in the mainstream development of the nation.

The Youth Charter
This aims to create well-respected youths, to promote and enhance holistic transformation, family enrichment and nation-building and is based on the following principles:

To empower youths towards holistic transformation in an era of Information Technology by guiding them to opportunities in education and competency development along with conviction in religious and cultural values.
To enable youths to a realisation of their dignity an self-worth within a healthy family and acquire living skills to face life’s challenges. To encourage and mobilise youths towards community development, political activities and nation-building, moulding them as tomorrow leaders.

Anti-Crime Campaign
The MIC is today launching a six-month anti-crime campaign to create community awareness of crime and violence. The aim is to encourage young people into positive social enhancement programmes which will build their confidence, capabilities and competencies. The outcome will be a drastic reduction in deviant and unlawful behaviour.

This endeavour seeks to mobilise family and community responses in addressing the root causes of the issues and problems. MIC Youth will be active in implementing these programmes. The Youth section has a leading role to play. They should work closely with the youths. It must identify all the secondary schools with a substantial number of Indian students. A good record must be maintained one each student.

The Youth wing must organise youth seminars in the identified schools, especially among students from low-income families, encouraging them into positive and healthy social development. The Youth leaders must organise youth clubs which are multi-activity based, namely on academic work, recreation and games, character and personality grooming.

Conclusion
A remarkable opportunity exists for youths to lead their community and the nation into a new kind of community. A cohesive community of healthy children, strong families, good education, decent housing and work that dignifies. We should understand the unprecedented world wide societal transformation. In order to deal and be part of this change, you should be enthusiastic and posses a state of mind that inspires and arouses you to put into action the task at hand. It does more than this, it is contagious and virtually affects not only the enthusiasts but all with whom he comes in contact.


(Submitted 31st December 2001)