KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — School management are reminded to monitor their students’ behaviour as reports revealed that criminal activities among children started from as early as aged seven until aged 18.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today crimes among children and students were currently seen as worrying as some were involved in gangs.
“We are worried that there are support from thugs outside the school and we will conduct investigation if the students are recruited by these gangs even though an initial investigation showed over 50 per cent are involved,” Ahmad Zahid, who is also Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) chairman told reporters after officiating at the MCPF general meeting here.
He did not rule out the possibility that the numbers could be higher as certain prestigious schools might not want to lodge police reports on such cases.
Statistics showed that only 368 children or students were involved in criminal activities in 2012 but the number rose to 542 students in 2013, an increase of 47 per cent, he said.
A total of 2,011 dropouts were also involved in crimes last year, an increase of 137 per cent from 849 dropouts in 2012 nationwide. — Bernama
