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Spotlight: Public safety among the main concerns
By : Dharshini Balan
30-Nov-2007, New Strait Times

CRIME and public safety are the top issues of concern among the youth, according to the National Youth Survey 2007. Fifteen per cent said they were concerned over recent increases in crime. This is seven per cent higher than last year, when the main cause for concern was inflation. Price hikes, which had 27 per cent of the 1,508 respondents worried last year, dropped to eight per cent this year.

This elevated concern is primarily due to the recent high profile rape and murder cases, like the deaths of 8-year-old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin, and 9-year-old Preeshena Varshiny. Social and moral problems, other economic problems and political issues and elections were the other important issues that were brought up. The percentage of those concerned by an increase in immoral activities, substance abuse, corruption and other social problems has gone up from eight per cent last year to 13 this year.

A third of the youths said career and money were their top personal concerns, with 15 per cent of these saying they wanted better jobs, 12 per cent higher pay and six per cent focusing mainly on their careers in general. Family-related responsibilities also scored high, with a total of 20 per cent in the personal concern category. The breakdown includes nine per cent on care for children, six per cent looking at family happiness and another five per cent on a better quality of life. Some of the other personal concerns include education (11 per cent), own assets (four per cent), health (three per cent) and a successful life (three per cent).