Empowering at-risk youth in Malaysia

Abstract

At-risk youth are those who are at high risk to be involved or exposed to social problems such as delinquency, drug abuse and so on. The World Youth Report (2005) estimated about 25 percent of World Youth Population is at-risk youth, while the Malaysian Youth Index (2008) estimated a total of 12 per cent of young people had been involved in at least one anti-social behavior, or equivalent to 480,000 youth aged 15-25 years. In order to eradicate this problem, the Center for Youth Empowerment (PERKASA) was established on 5th January, 2010 at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, in cooperation with PERMATA Division, Prime Minister's Office. The PERKASA is responsible to conduct research on two youth intervention programmes, i.e. Perkasa Camp, for youths involved in illegal motorcycle racing, and Perkasa Community, for at-risk youth living at the Low Cost High Risk Housing Project in Pantai Dalam, Kuala Lumpur. PERKASA applied a holistic approach interventive programmes to enhance emotional, spiritual and social development, in three modules: (1) self-development through counseling and communications, (2) leadership and teamwork, and (3) skills training involving short courses and industrial attachment. For the Perkasa Community, the preventive program focuses on developing 25 social asset through 7 main activities such as photography, cake decorations, music and vocal classes, make-up, art shoe, pastry and homework clubs. The outcomes are evaluated through four main aspects (family relation, personal development, social behavior and school/community). Preliminary data indicates that both the interventive and preventive programmes managed to instill the positive outcome in terms of social asset among the participants. Some of them have managed to secure stable full-time jobs which dramatically reduced their free time to be involved in further illegal motorcycle racing, while participants from the Komuniti Perkasa are now managed part-time small entrepreneurs selling cupcakes, or working as make-up assistants and freelance photographers.