Monday, 28 January 2013

Karim: Gangsterism among students an eye-opener


by Peter Boon, reporters@theborneopost.com. 

SIBU: The incident of students resorting to throwing Molotov cocktails to resolve problems should be viewed seriously for it can tear social fibres apart.

It is thus imperative that concerted efforts be taken to address all issues besieging teenagers, said Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Assistant Minister of Youth Development, yesterday.

“I am sad to hear of youth gangsterism and gangsterism among school students.

“Though this criminal case by students using Molotov cocktails is an isolated case, it is still a criminal case and should be treated as such,” he told The Borneo Post yesterday.

“The suspect should face the music.

“If they are minors, there are provisions to address them as minors.”

Asajaya assemblyman Karim said this when asked to comment on an incident which saw three students resorting to gangster-style violence on a schoolmate to resolve an issue sparked by a damaged motorcycle.

The boys, aged 17, tried to torch the house of their schoolmate when he failed to meet their demands for damaging a motorcycle belonging to one of them.

Karim lamented: “The case is an eye opener to all that social problems among teenagers is a serious one.

“This is a problem which is not just a government problem as it involves everyone … parents, schools, the community, law enforcers, and the government coming together to make Sarawak a safe place to live.”

He added that placing this problem squarely on schools alone would not solve the problem.

Likewise, heaping everything onto the shoulders of the police was not the solution either.

“A concerted effort should be done to educate parents and youths about good values, and we have to do it when the kids are still young.”

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