They can learn new knowledge and skills sitting inside a classroom, not by racing their bikes on the highway.

There has been a spate of problems with our teenagers making newspaper headlines of late. Many begin to wonder what has gone wrong with these future leaders of our country.

Are these young people having any trouble? The government and relevant authorities may need to conduct a thorough study on this phenomenon in order to come up with effective solutions to help them and make sure they are guided back to the right path.

A while ago, the court judgment on the case of eight deaths involving teenage basikal lajak cyclists has rocked the Malaysian society, with many slamming the irresponsible acts of teenage cyclists endangering the lives of other road users. Many people have posted videos of basikal lajak cyclists in action on our highways. While many are worried about a possible road mishap, these teenagers appear to have enjoyed themselves tremendously, much to the fury and helplessness of the public.

Mat Lajak is not a novel phenomenon in our society and is by no means an isolated case.

Three young riders illegally racing their motorbikes on a public road were killed in a tragic accident while another was injured. In a police operation to round up Mat Rempits in Johor, nine riders were arrested, the youngest being 14.

Our youngsters have been perennially plagued by a string of problems not just bike or motorbike racing on public roads and highways. Last week, in the Op Tapis Khas Siri 3, the police arrested a total of 3,724 drug dealers, drug addicts and other suspects wanted for drug-related cases, the youngest only 13!

According to education ministry statistics, as many as 21,316 students, or 0.22% of the country’s total school population, dropped out from schools between March 2020 and July 2021. Stepping out of the school at a time they are supposed to study hard, these teenagers will be easily led astray in the absence of guidance from their teachers and parents.

There are signs pointing to the reality that issues pertaining to youngsters are becoming increasingly serious by the day. The society needs to put in more attention and resources to help deliver these youngsters out of their current doldrums.

Problems related to the youngsters involve a whole melange of complexities that won’t get solved by an order from the authorities or the construction of a couple of recreational venues on government allocations. It requires concerted efforts from all parties, including the government, school authorities, teachers, parents and NGOs.

The authorities must put in place more comprehensive plans to guide the youngsters towards healthier lifestyles. While constructing more recreational and sport facilities are absolutely necessary, they are not everything. The government must join hands with NGOs in organizing activities that will enhance their physical health and build better characters while instilling in them the positive values.

Parents play a very crucial role in this whole thing. Many parents understandably work very hard to feed their families in our ever stressful modern world. Even though they are almost fully occupied with work, they are still obliged to spend time with their children and guide them.

Busy workload should not be an excuse, and they must not be completely ignorant of what their children are doing, or where they go in the middle of the night. Give your children a little more care and love. This is one of the responsibilities as a parent.

Some teenagers go astray because they lose their directions in life. They urgently need more care and guidance. If we keep ignoring them, we are not only hurting them but also inflicting harm on other innocent people who happen to be around them.

These young people are the future leaders of our nation, but before they can become pillars of our society, they need to be ingrained with the right attitude and value system. They can learn new knowledge and skills sitting inside a classroom, not by racing their bikes on the highway!