MCA Youth chief Nicole Wong Siaw Ting said the proposal failed to address larger social ills such as paedophilia and rape of minors.

She suggested that the government prioritise outlawing child marriage by amending legislation to increase the legal marriage age rather than being occupied with imposing curfews.

“It is also naive to assume that only minors will engage in activities associated with social ills,” she said.

“Likewise, criminal activities occur any time of the day with the easy accessibility to cybersphere.”

National Union of the Teaching Profession secretary-general Harry Tan questioned the practicality of the curfew, saying that it might not be well received by society.

“We are not at war, neither are we a regressive society.

“To us, what is more important, is educating those below 18 on the dangers of loitering and going out late at night,” he said.

Tan said that the government should address the issue from all angles rather than taking the simplistic approach.

“There are also those who need to work at night, help the family with the farms or even travel at night.

“Has the government considered all the possibilities of those who need to go out late at night?” asked Tan.

Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education chairman Mak Chee Kin said a one-size-fits-all policy would not work to settle the issue at hand.

“As a parent, I disagree with the curfew, it is not at all realistic. It is unfair. Why chastise everyone over the fault of a few young delinquents?

“Some teenagers also work at night to support their family,” said Mak, who also questioned how the curfew would be enforced in the villages.

He added that it was the moral duty of the parents to educate and observe their children.

Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said it was worth it to try something new to curb social ills among teens rather than not doing anything.

“We should give it a try because I think parents themselves need help.

“At the same time, the government also needs to get the opinions of parents but I think parents will be supportive of the plan,” she said.

“Sometimes, parents lose control of their children, which is why the children get into these social ills.”

Restauranteur Ali Rustam was in favour of the curfew, saying that children needed to be shielded against social ills and the dangers of crime.

The 57-year-old father of two said he quit his lucrative job as a marine engineer in 2013 so that he could be at home more often with his children, who were now 15 and 20.

“There are lots of kids on the streets at night, some below 12, loitering.

“I support this curfew because it involves the children’s future. If the children go out with their family, at least the parents are with them and know what they’re doing.

“If they go out alone with their friends, you never know what they’re doing,” he said.

Ali added that moral education must be strengthened in schools and at home to educate children on the dangers of drugs.

-The STAR-