'Halfway home' to curb gangsterism among Indian youth - MIC Youth

The Halfway Home programme, a key initiative in the Malaysian Indian Youth Action Plan, is aimed at curbing gangsterism among youth said MIC Youth chief Datuk C Sivarraajh.

He said the programme, focused on Indian students who are at a high risk of getting involved in gangsterism, is aimed to help the youth to change their lifestyle and become useful individuals.

"These students will be housed in a hostel and given maximum exposure in terms of academic, religious knowledge and education to better equip them to become good citizens. At the same time, we hope this initiative will help build good and polite individuals who will leave the hostel and continue living a normal life like the rest of the population," he told Bernama, Wednesday.

Sivarraajh also hoped that the action plan drafted by the youth wing to be included as part of the Malaysian Action Plan for Indian Community (MIB) that was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on April 23.

He said the proposed Halfway Home programme had been submitted to Najib and MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam.

He said MIC youth had also carried out various campaigns and awareness programmes to ensure that Indian youth were not involved in gangsterism.

"Intervention programmes have been conducted for the parents in high-risk areas (with various gangsterism related problems) so they can educate their children who are still in school. This problem can be curbed through a holistic cooperation from all parties to ensure that the problem will not become contagious and harm the Indian community in the country," he said.

Meanwhile, Sivarraajh also dismissed allegations from some quarters that the MIC Youth squad was a 'haven' for defending gangsters and giving a second chance to former prisoners and gangsters to turn over a new leaf.

"It is our duty to help all people regardless whether they are former prisoners, gangsters or thieves, it is our responsibility to help them to get back on the right path, and as the youth chief I cannot be bias by segregating everyone based on their past and level of education," he said. - BERNAMA