Five factors lead to extremism among youths - Khairy

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has outlined five main factors that contribute to extremism among youths.

The first, he said, was the lack of platform given to the young generation to voice their opinion and also to be directly involved in the formulation of national policies.

Thus, the young people felt they were being marginalised and with the presence of the social media, it prompted them to express their views through the internet, he added.

"In the end, they take the easy, but drastic, way out to make known their desire by following the extremist group," he said at a youth assembly programme, Tackling Extremism, here today.

He said the second factor was socio-economic where their failure to get jobs or getting low-paid jobs, resulting in them not being enthusiastic in their work.

Although the unemployment rate in Malaysia is three percent, the unemployment rate among the young people is as high as 10 percent, he added.

Khairy, who is also UMNO Youth chief, said the third factor was the desire of the young people to change the world.

The fourth factor, he said, was emotional 'silence', especially among those below the age of 34, where a study by the Mental Health Foundation found that loneliness had serious impact on those below 34-years-old.

"The absence of close friends invites that feeling of loneliness that they it made them think, what is wrong with joining groups like the IS if it can fill up their time and soul," he added.

Another factor which contributed to extremism among youths, he said was the perception on injustice in the world, that prompted them to want to do what they think was right and to uphold justice.

He said the spread of extremist ideology had strongly influenced the youth and the ministry viewed the matter seriously.

The government, he said, should deal with the problems and find solutions by having a comprehensive plan.