Social media is a tool that can be used for many unusual purposes. But in Malaysia, one especially surprising use is the recruiting of street gang members online. For the Malaysian Minister of Home Affairs, Hishammuddin Hussein, the recent recruitment of street fighters on Facebook has become a worrisome issue.
The targeted recruits are very young, most of them still secondary school students. One local newspaper reported on a Malaysian student recruited by the “36 or Satu Hati (United)” gang. He had to answer a series of questions about his street fighting experience and his willingness to be ‘educated’ as a member of the gang. The members of this particular group quite literally have to pay their dues online, as individual membership fees of MYR36 (US$12) are processed via online banking.
Not surprisingly, the Malaysian government strongly condemns all of this. Hishammuddin was quoted in The Star Daily saying “The ministries, including the Information, Communications, and Culture Ministry, the (multimedia) commission and the police will be brought in to tackle the issue.”
Advances in internet communication are being leveraged by all Malaysians, and it seems criminals are no exception. It will be interesting to see if the authorities try to take advantage of social media as well in order to remedy this particular social ill.
Via AFP, CNA
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