Studies showing young Muslims are most likely to resort to crime and indulge in pornography and gambling have alarmed the nation's leaders.
The studies highlight greater involvement by Malays, virtually all of them Muslims who have undergone compulsory religious education, than Chinese in a range of 'anti-social activities'.
Malays comprise about 60 per cent of the population while Chinese account for 30 and Indians eight.
A survey carried out in the Klang Valley, which encompasses Kuala Lumpur and surrounding industrial areas, showed among Muslim youngsters aged 13 to 21, some 70 per cent smoked, 40 per cent watched pornographic films, 28 per cent were involved in gambling activities and 14 per cent took hard drugs. The Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said 67 per cent of all crimes involved Malays, while the percentage of Chinese involvement was the lowest.
He said Malays should ask themselves whether wealth had weakened them and led to social problems.
'But the non-Muslims have become wealthier than us,' he said. 'Why is it that we cannot control ourselves?' The Deputy Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, said it was ironic that while it was compulsory for Malays, unlike other communities, to take Islamic studies in school, Malay youths comprised the majority of social delinquents.
