Gerakan slams gov't proposal to set curfew for teens
Gerakan has pooh-poohed the proposal to curb social ills by settting curfews for teenagers below 18 years old, as mentioned by Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail yesterday.
The party's vice-president Baljit Singh said Wan Azizah's proposal was “preposterous, digressive, and is a step backwards”.
Gerakan has pooh-poohed the proposal to curb social ills by settting curfews for teenagers below 18 years old, as mentioned by Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail yesterday.
The party's vice-president Baljit Singh said Wan Azizah's proposal was “preposterous, digressive, and is a step backwards”.
“Aren't we supposed to be moving forward, progressive and developed?
“Setting curfews on youths would be the start of a fascist, police state, where citizens' movements are restricted and they would live in fear," Baljit told Malaysiakini.
"Perhaps a curfew should be imposed on politicians from both sides of the divide instead, who just shoot their proposals off the cuff without much thought or research," he said.
"There are many more effective and progressive ways to curb social ills, but this is not one of them,” he added.
It was reported yesterday that Wan Azizah said the government was seriously considering a curfew to curb social ills, especially drug abuse.
She had told reporters of this proposal after chairing the cabinet committee meeting on eradication of drugs at Perdana Putra in Putrajaya.
"When there is a curfew, parents will know where their children are,” she had said.
'Banning and curfew have never worked, will never work'
Baljit said the “ridiculous move”, if implemented, would burden the police force and encourage "self-appointed social squads".
"It smacks of moral policing and is not practical at all; furthermore, it allows some quarters to impose their moral or personal standard on others and will encourage fanatical belief," Baljit added.
The Penang-based lawyer said social ills must be handled at the social level with better education and more effective enforcement against drug abuse, among others.
"Banning and a curfew have never worked and will never work."
Baljit said the Pakatan Harapan government must be serious about reforms, and get its priorities right.
He cited the case of imposing black shoes on students and now the proposed curfew for youths under 18 as the new government having their priorities wrong.
"Glue sniffing has not reached an epidemic level for such a disproportionate response
"Malaysia's serious problems are corruption, abuse of power, lack of professionalism in police force. We need institutional reforms, an independent judiciary and police force, repeal of oppressive laws which were all promised by Malaysia Baru.
"Focus on these and not petty matters," Baljit said.
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