KUALA LUMPUR: Imposing a night curfew on teens will unnecessarily burden the police force and encourage moral policing, while ignoring more serious problems such as corruption, abuse of power and lack of professionalism within the force.
Gerakan Legal and Human Rights Bureau head Datuk Baljit Singh slammed the idea of a curfew system as a means of tackling juvenile delinquency.
“Such a ruling will not only overburden the police force but also encourage self-appointed social squads. It is simply impractical and will open the doors to moral policing.
“Besides that, it will also allow some to impose their personal standards on others, as well as encourage fanatical beliefs.”
Baljit, who is also a senior lawyer, added that instead of mulling over the idea of curfews, the new government should prioritise reforms.
“We need institutional reform, an independent judiciary and police force, and must repeal oppressive laws. The ‘New Malaysia’ should concentrate on this and not petty matters, such as the colour of school shoes and curfews for teens.
“A social issue must be handled at the social level and dealt with better education as well as enforcement. Banning and curfews have never and will never work.”
He said this is in response to the government’s interest in introducing a curfew on those under the age of 18, to prevent them from getting involved in social ills, particularly drugs.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had said Thursday that the government was interested in what Iceland had done to curb social ills.
The measures included setting a time limit for those under the age of 18 to be out in public without adult supervision.