SOCIAL ILLS AMONG M'SIAN INDIAN YOUTHS SERIOUS

MELAKA (Malaysia), March 2 (Bernama) -- Social ills involving Indian youths
especially in the bigger cities pose a serious threat to the Indian community
and needs to be tackled urgently, said Human Resource Minister Dr
S.Subramaniam.

He said the youths, aged between 18 and 25 years, were involved in social
ills like stealing, robbery, distributing drugs and even murder.

"Although it is not a major issue in Melaka, cities like Klang, Penang
(northern state) and Johor Baharu (southern state) are having a big problem
because a large number of Indian youths in the age group are contributing to
social problems," he told reporters after launching the Melaka Indians
Education, Economic, Welfare and Cultural Development Association (MINDA) here
Sunday.

Subramanian attributed the problem to the youths' lack of focus on education
and self-development.

To overcome it, he urged the community's leaders to pay serious attention to
youth development in order to ensure they became useful citizens.

On the gathering by supporters of the banned Hindraf organisation at the
Brickfields police station in Kuala Lumpur Saturday to demand Internal Security
Act (ISA) detainee P. Uthayakumar be given proper medical treatment,
Subramaniam said he had been informed by Home Minister Syed Hamid
Albar that Uthayakumar was receiving medical treatment by specialist doctors.

"I appeal to the people to trust the government on this and not to resort to
any illegal acts that can disrupt public order," he said.

The supporters had gathered at the police station to lodge complaints that
Uthayakumar was not being taken care of properly at the Kamunting detention camp
in Taiping.

-- BERNAMA