Indeed, Indian youths are disproportionately represented in the statistics of offenders. Malaysian Indians also number among the victims.

A study commissioned by the party and undertaken by Dr Denison Jayasooria identified the lack of business and job opportunities followed by gangsterism and other behavioural problems as the most critical problems faced. MIC women leaders identified the lack of education and training opportunities as the most important. Other problems identified included an inferiority complex among some segments of the community, women-led households, school dropouts and loss of moral values.

The Government responded to the moral and social decay by forming a Cabinet Committee on Social Ills and the programmes to tackle the problems would be coordinated by the Ministry of National Unity & Social Development. The focus would not be on ad-hoc and piece-meal solutions but on a comprehensive and wholistic approach. There would be both preventive and rehabilitation measures with the involvement of the whole of society. Government agencies, private sector, NGOs, religious groups and local neighbourhood committees would be involved.

As for the MIC, it found that the youth and women members had the potential to be mobilised further to play an active role in addressing social problems affecting the community. The party, with its wide network of divisions and branches and close involvement in the community, decided to play a leading role. It realised that drastic action was needed to check the trends and provide a way out for those affected by such problems.

In the mid-1990s, the MIC, under the direction of its President Dato’ Seri S. Samy Vellu, embarked on a bold plan to tackle the issues and to bring positive change to the community. This plan was outlined in a speech in March 1997 at a meeting of more than 100 MIC divisional leaders. It was a plan of action to address social ills affecting the community.

The party realised that it needed to play a proactive and preventive role in addition to a direct and interventionary role to check the problems. The MIC felt that despite its efforts in the fields of education and socio-economic projects to uplift the disadvantaged and deprived, the social ills had grown to such magnitude that it could not be tackled by one single party. The Government, volunteers, community leaders, NGOs, political parties and others had to work together to bring new hope and lasting change.

The Yayasan Strategik Sosial was therefore formed in 1997 with two main objectives. First, it would undertake systematic research and strategic planning on issues related to social problems affecting the Malaysian Indian community. Second, it would draw up and implement services and programmes towards the social upliftment of needy and marginalised members of the Indian community. The services and projects would be geared towards helping individuals, families and communities, and providing opportunities for the poor and needy to uplift themselves.