DPM: Curfew for teens works in freezing Iceland, but difficult in Malaysia's climate

PARLIAMENT 

| Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail cited the difference in climate conditions between Malaysian and Iceland with regard to imposing a curfew on teenagers.

She told the Dewan Rakyat today that Malaysia's comfortable climate and overcrowded homes meant that Malaysian teenagers would be more drawn to stay out late at night.

"Iceland is colder, so it is better for them to stay at home.

"In Malaysia, the weather is nicer at night. Maybe that is why teenagers find it more comfortable to be outside at night,” she added during the Ministerial Question Time.

Wan Azizah, who is also the women, family and community development minister, was responding to a supplementary question by Tan Yee Kew (Harapan-Wangsa Maju) on whether the government had carried out studies to understand the reasons why teenagers stay out until late at night.

The deputy premier said while Iceland has been successful in implementing a curfew for youths below the age of 18, another problem was the lack of recreational areas and other supporting facilities for youths in Malaysia.

“The Iceland model is a social movement where curfew monitoring is done by the parents and neighbourhood themselves, with minimal involvement from the government.

“It will be nice to do this in Malaysia. However, the comparisons between Iceland and Malaysia are just too stark, in terms of the number of residents and children," Wan Azizah explained.

She said the Iceland government has put in place a long-term financial investment for the development of recreational infrastructure, as well as annual allocations to provide poor families with a U$330 "leisure card" for each of their children to fund sports, music and drama classes.

Earlier this year, Wan Azizah said the government is seriously considering imposing a curfew on those below the age of 18, in efforts to curb drug abuse, based on the Iceland model. - Mkini