The recent highlighting of the case of a young undergraduate who gave birth out of wedlock should be a wake-up call for the government and NGOs on the decline of the moral compass of our youth and the sanctity of marriage and family.

Campus life where young men and women meet frequently is a breeding ground for undesirable activities, which can lead to teen pregnancy as recently reported incidents have shown.

It is a crying shame to see that although our country can be proud of its physical development, the ills of society seem to be going from bad to worse.

I believe that children who come from broken homes or having both parents working hard to earn a decent living have contributed a lot to the social ills that beset our society. Parents who are busy do not have the time to bond with their offspring.

Negative elements in society like drug abuse and smutty VCDs sold in the neighborhood shops have also contributed a lot to negative traits in our youth.

From press reports, there are a lot of Malay youngsters involved in negative activities like being guest relation officers (GROs) in nightclubs to earn extra money after office hours to cater for their expensive lifestyles.

Youths indulging in drugs, which will destroy the peace and harmony of the family unit, show that they are spiritually weak individuals turning to destructive activities to escape from the problems of the world.

To be fair, other communities like the Indians, Chinese also have their fair share of social problems like those facing Malay youth. However, the Malay community somehow seems to top the list. Professional bodies and government agencies have to address this situation fast to stop the rot from getting worse.

In the early days, the whole village raised a child and no child dared to be a misfit as it would bring shame upon his or her family. But modern living with all the trappings of evil have encouraged our youngsters ape the West and their way of living.

The MTV and Bollywood-influenced generations tend to take life easy and a simple provocation can lead to fatal consequences as news of killings and murders among our teenagers and young adults has shown.

A dysfunctional family will produce dysfunctional kids and it is very important for parents to instill good values in their children to make them aware of what is right and wrong as they move on in life.

Parents should be good role models who practice what they preach. Religious education and good moral values should be instilled in youngsters to help prevent them from engaging in immoral activities, like having a child out of wedlock.

We should give our children what they need most in their lives - not the trappings of the good life but our time. This will make them feel confident and safe. Money and material wealth cannot replace the bonding between parent and child.