SHAH ALAM, Aug 20 — Every juvenile criminal case significantly impacts the country’s future potential.
State executive councillor for women empowerment and welfare Anfaal Saari said a main factor for the increase in juvenile crime is weak familial institutions, the stress of urban living, and peer pressure.
“Families are supposed to be safe spaces for children to explore the world, safe spaces for them to go home to.
“Other factors like social media and dropping out of school also contribute (to the problem), but it always comes back to families’ roles in shaping self-worth … give attention and guide children with love,” she told Media Selangor.
Anfaal added that the state administration has executed efforts at the grassroots level to boost community support through the Sinergi Prihatin programme with non-governmental organisations.
She said that even though Selangor accounts for the most juvenile crime cases, its relative rate is low compared with its population size.
Previously, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail in a written reply to Wangsa Maju MP Zahir Hassan, said 1,185 juvenile crime cases under the Child Act 2001 were logged nationwide as of June.
Saifuddin said that from that figure, Selangor accounted for the most cases (892), followed by Johor (731) and Perak (506), while Perlis had the fewest cases (116).
