JUVENILES ON REMAND: TRENDS AND PRACTICES IN MALAYSIA
By Abd Wahab Bin Kassim*
I. INTRODUCTION
Social problems, particularly social deviance, should not be used as an indicator that there areshortcomings in the social system and the family institution in the process of nation building, the core ofwhich is based on humanitarian principles and aesthetic values. Social problems are viewed as the negative
behaviour of members of the society, which do not contribute to the strength of the system, economy,
culture and society of a nation. The economic indicator is often used as the basis for evaluating social
problems. This is owing to the fact that social problems are considered to be synonymous with and have a
symbiotic relationship with poverty. Although there are other variables related to social problems
particularly the inter and intra processes of migration, urbanization, cultural shock and the fluidity of thefamily institution, the increase in the poverty rate remains the main indicator for the increase in social
problems. However, there is no specific or accurate indicator that can be used as the main gauge for
evaluating and defining social problems. Apart from that, although various parties particularly thegovernment and non-governmental bodies have taken relentless and integrated steps to overcome theproblem, there is no effective approach to date. Social problems are most common among adolescents, thefuture leaders of the nation.
This paper will focus on social problems particularly criminal misconduct among adolescents (juveniles)
who are under remand in prisons, from the aspects of the trends and rehabilitation practices implemented by
the Prison Department of Malaysia.

II. DEFINITION OF JUVENILE
From the legal point of view there are various definitions of juveniles depending on their group and age.
2.1 According to the Prison Act 1995, a juvenile or a young offender is defined as “a prisoner who isunder the age of 21 years”. The Prison Department of Malaysia detains juveniles aged between 14
and 21 years in prison as young prisoners or in Henry Gurney School (approved school) as students.
2.2 The Child Act 2001 defines a child as “a person under the age of 18 years and below” and the age ofcriminal responsibility at the age of ten.
2.3. The Child Protection Act 1991 defines a child as “a person under the age of 18 years and below”.
2.4 The Children and Young Persons Employment Act 1996 defines a child as a person aged between 10
and 14 years, and a young person as one aged between 14 and 16 years.
From the legal point of view the definition for juveniles can be concluded as a group of adolescents under
the age of 21 years and who have criminal responsibility at the age of 10 years. This paper focuses onadolescents aged between 14 and 21 years.

III. BACKGROUND
The nation has long been plagued by juvenile delinquency. Although much has been said and debated, theissue has not received its due attention. The problem of delinquency among juveniles is reported to be on
the rise from time to time. The actual number of cases is estimated to be much higher than that reported.
Social deviance among juveniles starts at school age. At the initial stage this delinquency is in the form ofabuse of school rules such as truancy, smoking and vandalism. The absence of effective measures to curb
and overcome this problem is a catalyst to more serious criminal misconduct such as bullying, injury toothers, rape, theft and murder. Effective preventive and rehabilitative measures must be implemented in an
integrated and widespread manner at the family and community levels, school and rehabilitation institutions
in view of the fact that the younger generation will inherit the nation’s wealth, place, profession and* Head of Human Resource Headquarters, Malaysia Prison Department, Malaysia.

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leadership. It is our duty to ensure that the future generation is one that is prepared and responsible for thecontinuity of life, peace, harmony and the development of the nation.

IV. THE JUVENILE MISCONDUCT FACTOR
The rise in social deviance among adolescents can be viewed from various aspects. Throughout 1995,
4012 adolescents (remanded in prison and Henry Gurney School) were involved in crimes where 96.2%
were male adolescents. The phenomenon is rather alarming and should not be viewed lightly as there are
more male detainees in rehabilitation centres and under remand. Although there is an increase in thenumber of male adolescents involved in criminal misconduct, statistics show that the involvement of female
juveniles in crime has also increased 161.5% from 325 cases in 1974 to 850 cases in 1995.
The statistics of the Prison Department of Malaysia show that of the 2964 juveniles who are serving
prison sentences: 1231 (41.6%) are Malays; 110 (3.7%) Chinese; 314 (10.6%) Indians; 197 (6.6%) otherraces including the Bumiputera in Sabah and Sarawak, and 1112 (37.5%) foreign juveniles. The increase incriminal misconduct among adolescents is influenced by several factors particularly involving those directly
involved with adolescent development such as parents, the school, the family, social institutions, thecommunity and the government.

A. Family Ties
The family is the most important institution in the formation of a human who is physically and mentally
healthy. The functions, form and role of the family institution changes owing to the current physical andcommunication developments in the country. The obsession in pursuing material gains has caused a rift infamily ties. Spiritual ties among family members have become eroded and as a result some members sufferfrom emptiness in life and this will result in more serious social problems.
B. Family Residence
The size of the family residence is another contributing factor to juvenile misconduct. Based on theexperience and factors collected at Henry Gurney Schools, a majority of the social degradation cases among
adolescents are those who live in small and overcrowded homes which have an insufficient number of rooms.
The discomfort of living in such a residence causes the occupants to seek comfort outside the homeparticularly in shopping complexes and places of entertainment which encourage the freedom to mix among
adolescents. The Government has made it a policy that housing projects of either medium or lower projects
must have three rooms.
C. Religious Education
A staunch belief in God is the main instrument in managing lustful drives. This can be achieved throughthe internalisation and practice of religious values as every religion demands its followers to do well and to
avoid all evils. Based on the experience with and observation of juvenile detainees, the Prison Departmentof Malaysia found superficial religious knowledge to be a contributing factor to juvenile misconduct, where
80% of the juveniles have a weak foundation in religious knowledge, 18% have secondary level religious
education and 2% tertiary level religious education.
D. The Individual
The individual factors, namely attitude, low self-esteem, mental and physical health problems, a low levelof education, the inability to cope with stress and to solve problems, drug abuse and pornography arecontributing factors to social deviance among adolescents. This is due to the fact that adolescents require
guidance and support in the process of developing their identity and in determining their goals in life.
E. The Environment
The environment refers to a wide area. Individuals live and depend on the environment in determining
their way of life. The environmental factors which encompasses the high rate of poverty, weak social support
system, community tolerance of crimes, limited social amenities, peer group influence, social rejection andthe influx of criminal sources, particularly pornography, are contributing factors to criminal behaviour insociety.

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F. Poverty
Poverty is closely connected with criminal misconduct. The strain of financial burdens is often used as an
excuse by offenders to commit crimes such as stealing and snatching. The experience and observation ofyoung prisoners and juveniles who are serving prison sentences shows that a majority of them come fromfamilies with a monthly income below RM1000 and with four to seven siblings.
G. Peer Group Influence
Peer group influence is another contributing factor to social deviance among adolescents and juveniles.
The urge to try something new and provocation from the peer group often result in adolescents being
involved in criminal activities. The habit of imitating a certain culture, for example the punk and skinhead
cultures, without evaluating the good and bad of the culture concerned, can also lead adolescents to involve
themselves in social deviance. In the process of searching for their self-identity, adolescents often err intheir choice of a role model. They are more inclined to be influenced by their peer group and treat advice andcriticisms from their family as something that restricts and bores them.
H. Academic Background
Statistics at the Henry Gurney schools and the Prison Department of Malaysia show that 122 (30%) of
the inmates received a primary education and 410 (70%) received a secondary education. Of the total, 310 ofthem left school after lower secondary education.
V. TREND OF JUVENILE MISCONDUCT UNDER DETENTION
The trend in juvenile misconduct under detention can be viewed from the socio-economic and legal
aspects. The socio-economic trend is in turn influenced by the family background, citizenship, place ofresidence, level of education, household income, age, ethnic group and religion. The legal trend can beviewed from the aspect of the type of crime committed and the length of sentence they serve. Statistics fromthe Prison Department of Malaysia show that there is an increase in the number of juveniles in prison. The
increase is closely related to the socio-economic and legal aspects.

Statistics of Juveniles at the Prison Department of Malaysia
Year

Young Prisoners

Juvenile Detainees

Juveniles

Total

2000

1651

121

536

2308

2001

1565

119

533

2217

2002

2020

128

527

2675

2003

2517

125

535

3177

2004

2314

118

532

2964

Source: Prison Department of Malaysia.

A. Socio-economic Trend
1. Ethnic Group
Crimes and the criminals do not identify with a particular ethnic group for all ethnic groups are involvedin juvenile criminal misconduct. According to the statistics of the Prison Department of Malaysia, Malay
juveniles comprise the largest number involved in criminal activities i.e. 1,231 (41.6%), followed by the
Chinese 110 (3.7%), 314 (10.6%) Indians and 197 (6.6%) other races (including the indigenous people in
Sabah and Sarawak) and 1,112 (37.5%) are foreign juveniles.

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Juvenile Statistics according to Ethnic Group
Race

Young Prisoners

Young Detainees

Juveniles

Total

Malay

833

24

374

1231

Chinese

64

14

32

110

Indian

198

76

40

314

Others

113

2

82

197

Foreigners

1106

2

4

1112

Total

2314

118

532

2964

Source: Prison Department of Malaysia, 15 November 2004.
2. Religion
From the aspect of religion, the statistics of the Prison Department of Malaysia show that of the 2,964
juveniles detained in prison, 1,784 (60.3%) of them are Muslims, 372 (12.5%) Buddhists, 483 (16.3%)
Hindus, 268 (9.0%) Christians and 57 (1.9%) of other religions.

Juvenile Statistics according to Religion
Religion

Total

Percentage

Islam

1784

60.3%

Buddhism

372

12.5%

Hinduism

483

16.3%

Christianity

268

9.0%

Others

57

1.9%

Total

2964

100%

Source: Prison Department of Malaysia, 15 November 2004.
3. AgeThe statistics of the Prison Department of Malaysia show that there is a significant difference in the agesof the young prisoners, and the detainees and juveniles. For young prisoners and young detainees the age
trend shows that more of those between the ages of 18 and 20 years i.e. 2,115 (91.4%) are involved incrimes compared to those between the ages of 14 and 17 years i.e. 199 (8.6%). As for the young detainees
between 18 and 20 years, the number stands at 77 (65.3%) compared with 41 (34.7%) of detainees aged
between 14 and 17 years.
The age trend for juveniles shows that more of those aged between 14 and 17 years i.e. 385 (72.4%) are
involved in crimes compared to those aged between 18 and 20 years i.e. 147 (27.6%). It can be concluded
that the rate for criminal misconduct among young detainees is higher among those aged 18 years and above
while for the juveniles the rate is higher among those aged 18 years and below.

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Juvenile Statistics according to AgeJuvenile Category

Age

Total

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Young Prisoners

15

20

53

111

388

718

1009

2314

Detainees

3

7

12

19

21

25

31

118

Juveniles

38

95

113

139

87

47

13

532

56
(1.9%)

122(4.1%)

178(6.1%)

269(9.0%)

496(16.7%)

790(26.6%)

1053(35.6%)

2964

Total

Source: Prison Department of Malaysia, 15 November 2004.
4. Level of Education
The success in one’s career is often said to be connected to the success in one’s education. Those who
hold high posts either in the government or private sector are usually the high achievers. Having to drop outof school often results in the individuals being involved in social deviance. The statistics of the Prison
Department of Malaysia show that 1,376 (46.4%) juveniles who are prison detainees received only a low
level of education and of the total 434 (31.5%) have never attended school while 1,588 (63.6%) received asecondary education whereby 1191 (75%) of them received lower secondary education. The statistics showthat criminal misconduct among juveniles is greatly influenced by their level of education whereby
adolescents with a low level of education or who have never attended school are more inclined to be
involved in social problems and their chances of becoming criminals are high.

Juvenile Statistics according to Level of Education
Juvenile Category

Education Level

Total

No
Schooling

Std 1-3

Std 4-6

Form 1-3

Form 4-5

Form 6And Above

413*

251

489

852

302

7

2314

Detainees

5

21

32

41

16

3

118

Juveniles

16

46

103

298

69

0

532

Total

434

318

624

1191

387

10

2964

Young Prisoners*92% are Foreigners.
Source: Prison Department of Malaysia, 15 November 2004.
5. Household Income
Poverty is often linked with criminal involvement. Poverty is also often used as an excuse for committing
a crime in order to support oneself. The statistics of the Prison Department of Malaysia show that 2,089(70.5%) of juveniles who are detained in prisons come from families with an income of below RM1000 while
875 (39.5%) come from families with an income of RM1000 and above. The statistics also show that thetrend of criminal misconduct among adolescents or juveniles is greatly influenced by poverty or low
household income.

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Juvenile Statistics according to Household Income
Juvenile Category

Household Income<RM 1000

RM 1000-RM 2000 RM 2000-RM 3000

Total
>RM 3000

Young Prisoners

1655 (7105%)453 (19.6%)

139 (6.0%)

67 (2.9%)2314

Detainees77 (65.2%)

27 (22.9%)9 (7.6%)5 (4.3%)118

Juveniles

357 (67.1%)

119 (22.4%)

37 (6.9%)

19 (3.6%)

532

Total

2089 (70.5%)599 (20.2%)

185 (6.2%)

91 (3.1%)

2964

Source: Prison Department of Malaysia, 15 November 2004.
6. Family Status
A rift among family members is a contributing factor to social deviance. However, there is a no strong
relationship between family status and criminal misconduct among adolescents to justify such a claim. Of the2,964 juveniles who are serving prison sentences only 571 (19.3%) come from broken homes while 2,393(80.7%) of them have families.

Juvenile Statistics according to Family Status
Juvenile Category

Family Status

Total

Whole Families

Divorced Parents

Young Prisoners

1857

457

2314

Detainees

97

21

118

Juveniles

439

93

532

2393 (80.7%)571 (19.3%)

2964

Total

Source: Prison Department of Malaysia, 15 November 2004.
7. Number of Family Members
There is a significant relationship between social deviance and the number of family members.
Adolescents who come from a large family are more inclined to be involved in criminal misconduct. A large
family often causes discomfort at home particularly for those who reside in houses categorized as low or
medium cost due to the lack of space for relaxing, in spite of the government standard ruling of at least threerooms to every house. As a result, family members feel more comfortable being out of the home.
Adolescents who come from families with 5 to7 siblings are more inclined to be involved in criminal
activities. The following statistics show that 1,783 (60.2%) juveniles detained in prisons come from families
with 5 to7 siblings while 774 (26.1%) of them come from families with 2 to 4 siblings.

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Juvenile Statistics according to Number of Family Members
Juvenile Category

Number of Family Members

Total

Only Child

2-4

5-7

8 and More

Young Prisoners

81

607

1388

238

2314

Detainees

5

29

66

18

118

Juveniles

12

138

329

53

532

98 (3.3%)

774 (26.1%)

1783 (60.2%)309 (10.4%)

2964

Total

Source: Prison Department of Malaysia, 15 November 2004.
8. Place of Residence
The area where a juvenile comes from has an influence on his involvement in criminal misconduct.
Although crime is committed without consideration whether the offender originates from the rural,suburban or urban area the following statistics show that 2,089 (70.5%) of the juveniles who are serving
prison sentences come from the rural areas, compared with 486 (16.4%) from suburban areas and 389(13.1%) from urban areas. Although the offenders come from families who reside in the rural area, this is not
an accurate representation as most crimes are committed in the urban or suburban areas. This may be dueto the fact that the crimes were committed while the juveniles were in the urban or suburban areas or havemigrated or resided permanently there.

Juvenile Statistics according to Place of Residence
Juvenile Category

Place of Residence

Total

Rural

Suburban

Urban

Young Prisoners

1656

356

302

2314

Detainees

68

29

21

118

Juveniles

365

101

66

532

2089 (70.5%)486 (16.4%)

389 (13.1%)

2964

Total

Source: Prison Department of Malaysia, 15 November 2004.

B. Legal Trend
From the legal aspect, criminal misconduct among adolescents clearly show that most of the crimes
committed by the juveniles come under the Penal Code, particularly theft. The following statistics show that
1,246 or 42.1% juveniles are involved in crimes under the Penal Code and 431 or 16.6% under theDangerous Drugs Act particularly possession and abuse of drugs. The percentage of foreign juveniles whoare involved in crimes under the Immigration Act is 32.2% or 954. On the whole, 1,112 or 37.5% juveniles
detained in prisons are foreign citizens. Apart from that, there are also crimes under other Acts, 56 or 1.9%
come under the Registration Act (foreigner used forged identification card), 6 or 0.2% under the Firearms
Act, 32 or 1.1% under the Child Act, 28 or 0.9% under the Dangerous Drugs Special Preventive Measures,
90 or 3.0% under the Restricted Residence Act, 22 or 0.9% under the Road Transport Act and the remaining
94 or 3.1% under other Acts.

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Juvenile Statistics according to Offence
Juvenile Category

Act

Total

KK

ADM

S/API

PPN

JPJ

IMM

LLPK POPOC

AKK

OTHERS

Young Prisoners

921

360

2

23

11

931

0

0

0

66

2314

Detainees

0

0

0

0

0

0

28

90

0

0

118

Juveniles

325

71

4

33

16

23

0

0

32

28

532

Total

1246
42.1%

431
14.6%

6
0.2%

56
1.9%

27
0.9%

954
32.2%

28
0.9%

90
3.0%

32
1.1%

94
3.1%

2964

Source: Prison Department of Malaysia, 15 November 2004.
Note: KK = Penal Code, ADM = Dangerous Drugs Act, S/API = Firearms Act, PPN = National
Registration Act, JPJ = Road Transport Act, IMM = Immigration Act, LLPK = Dangerous Drugs Act,
Special Preventive Measures, POPOC = Restricted Residence Act, AKK = Child Act.

VI. JUVENILE REHABILITATION PRACTICEAs they are young offenders, juveniles must be given the opportunity to correct their wrongdoing
through the process of rehabilitation. This is due to the fact that most of the problems involving juvenile
misconduct are the result of the shortcomings of the social system itself, particularly the family institution
and the spirit of neighbourhood in the society. The Prison Department of Malaysia has developed andimplemented a rehabilitation module that is specially targeted at young prisoners known as the Putra
Module and a rehabilitation plan targeted at juveniles in Henry Gurney schools with attitude building,knowledge and skills development as the main objectives. This is to ensure that the juveniles can berehabilitated to be normal individuals again.

A. The Putra Module (Prisoners and Young Detainees)
The Putra Module was developed with an integrated approach as the main objective i.e. physical andspiritual rehabilitation. Through this module, the Prison Department of Malaysia has identified theobjectives of the rehabilitation process and activities that prisoners must go through. There are four main
programmes in the module, namely the Discipline Building Programme, the Character Reinforcement
Programme, the Skills Programme and the Community Programme. The implementation of therehabilitation programmes is supported by spiritual activities, counselling, good citizenship and moral/civic
education.
1. Phase 1 - Discipline Building Programme
The Discipline Building Programme was developed with the main objective of producing inmates who are
disciplined and abide by all the regulations, are active and who practice a healthy way of life. The programme
is implemented for a period of three months. The module contains the following programmes, namely the
information module, physical and discipline building module, the moral/civic module, the motivation module,
the citizenship module, the counselling module and the spiritual module.

Phase 1: Discipline Building Programme
Aim

Process

Activity

To prepare offenders to serve theirsentence effectively•Offenders’ personal data and reason for committing
crime are recorded•To get offenders’ vow for good conduct•Offenders are categorized according to sentence•Basic personal hygiene• Marching• Civic/moral classes• Basic regulations• Spiritual• Counselling• Cleaning work

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2. Phase 2 - Character Reinforcement Programme
The Character Reinforcement Programme is the core treatment in the Putra Module. The programme isimplemented between 6 and 12 months where the stress is on the development of self-identity and positive
attitudes through the Halaqah approach, Therapeutic Community and Counselling, academic and Malaysian
Skills Certificate basic classes. The main objective of the programme is to produce inmates who possess
strong self-identity when facing the pre re-entry process while in prison and when they are released. In the
Hallaquah approach, inmates are divided into many groups depending on their knowledge of Islam. Ustaz orother religious teachers, who have much knowledge of the religion, will monitor the inmates’ progress. Also,
inmates who have advanced knowledge of the subject have an opportunity to give a talk to the group andhelp teachers guide the group.

Phase 2: Character Reinforcement Programme
Aim

Process

Activity

To build a strong self identity
and to instil good moral values
among offenders•Offenders are given activities according to interest,
problems and background•Offenders are exposed to basic training andpractical work

•Religious talks•Counselling•Moral and civic education•Team work
•Basic training for Malaysian
Skills Certificate•Spiritual•Academic

3. Phase 3 - Skills Programme
Phase 3 of the Putra Module is the Skills Programme. The main objective of the programme is to produce
inmates who are skilled and possess certificates as well as those who excel in sports. The main activities in
the programme include certified skills, vocational skills and sports excellence skills. Apart from that,spiritual activities and counselling are still the main activities in this phase.

Phase 3: Skills Programme
Aim

Process

Activity

To enable offenders to be
independent after their release•Through the SKM and CIDB Learning System, etc.
•Vocational training through work at joint-ventures
and trust accounts•Work which involves low costs aimed at sharpening
skills•SKM, CIDB Theory andPractical Classes•Vocational Skills•Counselling•Moral and Civic Education•Spiritual•Academic•Sports Excellence

Note’s MSC = Malaysian Skills Certificate.
CIDB = Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia.
4. Phase 4 - Community Programme
The last phase in this module is the Community Programme. The main objective of this programme is toprepare the inmates to face the stigma attached to them by society after they are released and to encourage
public participation to assist in the process of assimilation of prisoners into society. The activities in thisprogramme are developed to expose the prisoners to life in society again such as preventive education i.e.
the Realisation Programme - Message from the Prison (inmates are escorted to school or the community togive talks on how and why they commit the crimes and on the implications or impact they get after they areconvicted and sent to the Henry Gurney School), Community Services such as to clean old folks homes andkampong (village) and spiritual activities, which form the core rehabilitation for each phase.

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Phase 4: Community Programme
Aim

Process

Activity

To prepare inmates to face life
beyond prison and toassimilate with society•Work outside of the prison•Living skills and income•Sports and community activities outside the prison•Crime prevention activities•Work outside the prison•Give educational talks•Individual and family
counselling•Spiritual•Job interviews•Realisation programme –Message From The Prison•Camping for uniformed
units•Visit to towns•Spiritual (Qiamullail)•Short holiday•Freedom to obtain licence

B. Juvenile Rehabilitation Module
The Juvenile Rehabilitation Programme is developed in three categories i.e. the rehabilitation of students
below the age of 18 years, rehabilitation of students aged 18 and above and those without basic education.
However, the module still retains rehabilitation with attitude building, knowledge and skills development as
the core objectives through the spiritual approach, moral/civic awareness, counselling, citizenship and cocurricular activities such as music band, police cadets, the Civil Defence Department cadets, RELA cadetsand the Putra cadets (Uniform activities).
1. Rehabilitation Module for Juveniles Aged 18 Years and Below
Juveniles at the Henry Gurney schools, especially those under the age of 18 years, are usually school
dropouts. These groups of students usually have not had the opportunity to take the Lower Secondary
Examination (PMR) or the Malaysian School Certificate (SPM) examination. Taking into consideration theneed for education for these students, the Prison Department has determined that core rehabilitation forjuveniles at this level involves discipline building, character building and education. Thus, every juvenile
aged 18 years and below is required to take academic classes with the aim of obtaining the Lower Secondary
Examination or Malaysian School Certificate after completing the Character Reinforcement Programme.

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Rehabilitation Plan for Juveniles Aged 18 Years and Below
AcceptanceDiscipline Building
3 Months

Character Reinforcement
6 Months

Academic

3M

LCE

MCE

Skills

SKM

Vocational

Community

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2. Rehabilitation Module for Juveniles Aged 18 Years and Above
The rehabilitation of juveniles aged 18 years and above is based on building discipline, self identity andskills. The rehabilitation plan for students aged 18 years and above is as follows:

Rehabilitation Plan for Juveniles Aged 18 Years and Above
AcceptanceDiscipline Building
3 Months

Character Reinforcement
6 Months

Skills

MSC

Vocational

CIDB

Community

3. Rehabilitation Module for Juveniles with No Basic Education
The National Education Policy has determined that each child should receive formal education especiallyat the primary and secondary levels. Nevertheless, there are juveniles placed in Henry Gurney schools who
have not followed formal education or are illiterate. Rehabilitation for these juveniles is focused on disciplinebuilding, character reinforcement, the three R’s and skills. The teaching of the 3 R’s (reading, writing andmathematics) is stressed to ensure that they are able to take the certified skills course for three years while
in remand, especially the Malaysian Skills Certificate (MSC) and the Construction Industry Development
Board Malaysia (CIDB). The rehabilitation plan for juveniles in this category is as follows:

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Rehabilitation Plan for Juveniles with No Basic Education
AcceptanceDiscipline Building
3 Months

Character Reinforcement
6 Months

Skills

SKM

Vocational

CIDB

Community

VII. CONCLUSION
Social deviance among adolescents, no matter the aspect of its definition, cannot be separated from thefact that the problem has its source at all levels of community and involves all members of the community.
Thus, each programme, module, approach and activity whether in the form of prevention, rehabilitation,
policy or social system development, must involve a role that is united, thorough and continuous, requiring
the full commitment of all levels including individuals, families, society, social institutions, rehabilitation
institutions, non-governmental organizations, private bodies and the government. The role of theinstitutions should also be in line with the objectives of the National Social Policy whose purpose is thecreation of a Malaysian society that is developed and stable from the social, economic and technologicalaspects. Each member of society must have the opportunity and desire to fulfil their self potential in ahealthy social environment based on the attributes of unity, steadfastness, democracy, morality, tolerance,
pro-activeness, progressiveness, love and fairness in line with the objectives of Vision 2020.

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