Anti-truancy task force reactivated
2009/08/15
By Hamidah Atan

PUTRAJAYA: The Education Ministry has reactivated the anti-truancy task force in the states to deal with errant students.
Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the body, comprising education officers, representatives of local councils and parent-teacher associations and community heads, had been formed in at least 52 districts.So far, it has dealt with 942 students.Muhyiddin said although the number of students who play truant was small, he wants members of the task force to be more aggressive in curtailing the habit.
"If this task force can function effectively, I am sure that our efforts to reduce crimes and indiscipline involving students can be achieved."Idle time should be filled with beneficial activities that can reduce the risk of our youngsters whiling away their time in anti-social and criminal activities."The time has come for our students to be actively involved in not just school sports but also those held by the local communities. Schools, parent-teacher associations, local councils, community leaders and sports bodies should work together to provide sports facilities and organise functions to encourage the participation of youth." Muhyiddin said this when he launched a crime prevention campaign organised by the crime prevention foundation, with the cooperation of the education ministry, at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre here.Also present were Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan, Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom and crime prevention foundation deputy chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.Muhyiddin said prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had recently announced six core national results areas (NKRAs) that served as a yardstick for the government's performance."This includes the effort to create a safe living environment for the people by way of crime reduction. The government realises that reducing crime and creating a safe environment is our main responsibility that will be evaluated by the people at the end of the day."It will be meaningless to be a developed nation if the rakyat are, all the time, worried about their safety, family and property. The people have a legitimate expectation to live in peace and harmony."From 2004 to 2008, he said 0.03 per cent of the country's more than two million students were involved in crime.
Up to last year, 6,447 crime prevention clubs had been set up in primary and secondary schools, with 380,369 members.
About 64 clubs operate their own websites to expand crime prevention campaigns organised by their respective schools.Muhyiddin said 2,534 police cadet corps platoons with 88,690 members had been formed in schools.
zainab bt ibrahim.