4,620 youths sentenced with community service since 2008

MALACCA: A total of 4,620 youths, aged between 18 and 21, were punished with community service between 2008 until last year for their involvement in social ills and crime.
According to Woman, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun, from the total, 3,154 youths underwent community service between a certain period and 240 hours, while 13% did not complete their punishments.
She commented, participants did not complete community services due to violation of a court order, non-compliance to an order issued or continuous involvement in social ills and crime during the time of the sentence.
“Meanwhile, a total of 2,851 (87%) youths successfully completed their terms of community service, and this is the best achievement yet, showing the effectiveness of this type of sentence. We also aim to have zero incomplete community service participants by 2020,” she told reporters after officiating the closing ceremony of the national level Community Service Spiritual Camp organised by the Social Welfare Department (JKM) here today.
Also present were the ministry's deputy secretary-general (Strategic) Azman Mohd Yusof, Social Welfare Department director-general Datuk Zulkiply Ramli and MalaccaWomen, Family Development and Welfare Committee chairman Datuk Latipah Omar.
Azizah said the community service was aimed at rehabilitating and preventing young offenders from repeating past mistakes – restoring them to society through sentencing, rehabilitation and awareness.
She added, the service provided a second chance for troubled youths or teenagers to improve their life in the future.
Further commenting, Azizah said the involvement of young offenders was believed to be due to weaknesses in the family system and society itself. — Bernama