Steer youths away from gangsterism

 Indian youths are disproportionately represented in criminal syndicates, with sociologists saying their lack of self-confidence is driving them to seek social endorsement and financial survival through such secretive networks.

From Moaz Nair

Malaysian Indians comprise roughly 6.5% of the total national population, about 2.2 million people, based on recent census indicators.

Despite being the third-largest ethnic group, the community has a disproportionately high representation in criminal syndicates and local gangsterism — which some sociologists link to historical displacement and economic marginalisation.

Official data released by the home ministry highlight that the Indian community registered the highest rate of gangsterism among ethnic groups in the country.

Out of more than 40,000 identified active gang members nationwide, nearly 71.75% (28,926 people) are of Indian descent.

Of the 49 active secret societies and crime syndicates blacklisted by the government, 38 are mostly operated by Indian youths, with active factions including Gang 04, Gang 08, and Gang 36.

Police operations have frequently exposed school-age recruitment. During crackdowns on unlawful secret societies (such as Gang 24), authorities routinely uncover high numbers of current high school students (ages 15-18) alongside school dropouts.

Sociological data indicate that the over-representation of Indian youths in gangs is a symptom of long-term structural barriers.

Children from low-income families who struggle academically face a severe loss of self-confidence. This pushes them to look to covert networks for social endorsement and financial survival.

Syndicates purposefully target these susceptible minors, exploiting their financial deprivation or poor family support structures to push them into gang activities at an early age.

Parents’ crucial role

Parents have an important role to play in preventing youth delinquency.

They should not be defensive when attempting to resolve these issues, nor should they wait for threats to affect a child before taking action. Instead, parents must act early to address warning signs and nip potential problems in the bud.

Warn children about the dangers of crime before they encounter it first-hand. Discuss why children join gangs — often for attention, identity, and status — and caution them that these are false impressions.

Emphasise that gang involvement leads only to being ostracised by society and punished by the law.

Learn to identify behavioural and emotional indicators early. Signs such as aggression or violent tendencies are early signals that a child needs guidance.

Monitoring these changes allows parents to get help before the behaviour becomes unmanageable.

Talk openly about the penalties of gang involvement and share real-world examples of how destructive these activities are.

Educate children to firmly reject gang activities, as early guidance can help save them from a life of crime. - FMT

Moaz Nair is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.