A Qualitative Exploration on the Perception of Gangs and Gangsterism in Malaysia
Penerokaan Secara Kualitatif mengenai Persepsi Terhadap Geng dan Gangsterisme di Malaysia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33102/sainsinsani.vol9no2.673Keywords:
Police, Media, Crime, Gangs, City, PerceptionAbstract
Abstract: This study delves into the nuanced perceptions of gangs and gangsterism in Malaysia through the lens of law enforcement officers, crime reporters, and crime analysts. Using a qualitative approach, the research explores how these stakeholders define gangs, the racial and ethnic characteristics associated with gang membership, the underlying motivations for joining gangs, and the strategies proposed to curb gang activities. Through in-depth interviews and secondary data analysis, the study uncovers the complex interplay of socio-economic factors, such as underdevelopment, marginalization, and economic downturns, which drive individuals towards gang affiliation. Additionally, it highlights psychological and behavioural influences that contribute to gang membership. The research emphasizes the importance of developing comprehensive intervention strategies that not only focus on prevention and rehabilitation but also foster community engagement. These strategies should be tailored to address the unique socio-cultural dynamics of Malaysia, recognizing the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those involved in or affected by gang activities. The findings underscore the necessity for a multi-faceted approach that integrates efforts from various sectors, including law enforcement, social services, and the community, to effectively combat the gang phenomenon in Malaysia. By providing a detailed understanding of the perceptions and proposed solutions from key stakeholders, this study contributes valuable insights into the ongoing discourse on gangsterism and offers practical recommendations for policy and practice.
Abstrak: Kajian ini meneroka persepsi yang terperinci mengenai geng dan gangsterisme di Malaysia melalui perspektif pegawai penguatkuasa undang-undang, wartawan jenayah, dan penganalisis jenayah. Menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif holistik, penyelidikan ini mengkaji bagaimana pihak berkepentingan ini mentakrifkan geng, ciri-ciri kaum dan etnik yang berkaitan dengan keahlian geng, motivasi asas untuk menyertai geng, dan strategi yang dicadangkan untuk membendung aktiviti geng. Melalui temu bual mendalam dan analisis data sekunder, kajian ini membongkar interaksi kompleks faktor sosio-ekonomi seperti kemunduran, peminggiran, dan kemerosotan ekonomi yang mendorong individu untuk menyertai geng. Selain itu, ia menyoroti pengaruh psikologi dan tingkah laku yang menyumbang kepada keahlian geng. Penyelidikan ini menekankan kepentingan membangunkan strategi campur tangan yang komprehensif yang bukan sahaja menumpukan kepada pencegahan dan pemulihan tetapi juga memupuk penglibatan komuniti. Strategi-strategi ini harus disesuaikan untuk menangani dinamik sosio-budaya yang unik di Malaysia, mengiktiraf latar belakang dan pengalaman yang berbeza bagi mereka yang terlibat atau terkesan oleh aktiviti geng. Penemuan ini menegaskan keperluan untuk pendekatan pelbagai aspek yang mengintegrasikan usaha dari pelbagai sektor termasuk penguatkuasaan undang-undang, perkhidmatan sosial, dan komuniti untuk memerangi fenomena geng di Malaysia dengan berkesan. Dengan menyediakan pemahaman terperinci mengenai persepsi dan penyelesaian yang dicadangkan daripada pihak berkepentingan utama, kajian ini menyumbang pandangan yang berharga dalam wacana berterusan mengenai gangsterisme dan menawarkan cadangan praktikal untuk dasar dan amalan.
Downloads
References
Aldridge, J., & Medina, J. (2008). Youth gangs in an English city (Final Report to the ESRC). Economic and Social Research Council.
Arias, E. D., & Barnes, N. (2017). Crime and plural orders in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Current Sociology, 65(3), 448-465. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392116667165
Allen, K. A. (2020). The psychology of belonging. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429056358
Ananthan, S. D. (2019). Crime trends and patterns in Malaysia. Kyoto Review of Southeast Asia. https://kyotoreview.org/trendsetters/crime-trends-and-patterns-in-malaysia/
Anjomani, A., & Ahmad, F. B. (1992). Squatter settlement in Kuala Lumpur: Evaluation and alternatives. Ekistics, 59(354/355), 159–165. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43622244
Belokurova, G. (2018). Soviet legacies, organized crime, and economic gangsterism: Russia, 1995–2010. Communist and Post-Communist Studies, 51(1), 1-17. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48610496
Bennett, T., & Holloway, K. (2004). Gang membership, drugs and crime in the UK. British Journal of Criminology, 44(3), 305-323. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azh025
Brockerhoff, M. (1994). The impact of rural-urban migration on child survival. Health Transition Review, 127-149. Cengage Learning.
Bryman, A. (1989). Research Methods and Organization Studies (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203359648
Chin, K. L. (1996). Chinatown gangs: Extortion, enterprise, and ethnicity. Oxford University Press.
Chinese have the most gangs, Indians have the most members, police (2018, August 17). The Sun Daily. https://thesun.my/archive/chinese-have-most-gangs-indian-gangs-most-members-police-GUarch531875
Chu, C. M., Daffern, M., Thomas, S., & Lim, J. Y. (2012). Violence risk and gang affiliation in youth offenders: A recidivism study. Psychology, Crime & Law, 18(3), 299-315. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2010.481626
Chui, W.H. & Chan, H.C. (2012). Outreach social workers for at-risk youth: A test of their attitudes towards crime and young offenders in Hong Kong, Children and Youth Services Review, 34(12), 2273-2279.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.08.006.
Crouch, M., & McKenzie, H. (2006). The logic of small samples in interview-based qualitative research. Social Science Information, 45(4), 483-499.
Decker, S. H., Van Winkle, B., & Lauritsen, J. L. (1994). Exploring the gang member's perspective: An ethnographic study of gangs, gang members and their families. University of Missouri--St. Louis, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Decker, S., & Kempf-Leonard, K. (1991). Constructing gangs: The social definition of youth activities. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 5(4), 271-291. https://doi.org/10.1177/088740349100500401
Densley, J. (2013). How gangs work. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137271511
Dewi. (2018, March 11). Chinese Have Most Gangs; Indians Have the Most Members: Police. The Sun. https://thesun.my/archive/chinese-have-most-gangs-indian-gangs-most-members-police-GUarch531875#google_vignette
Deuchar, R., & Holligan, C. (2010). Gangs, sectarianism and social capital: A qualitative study of young people in Scotland. Sociology, 44(1), 13-30.
Drugs, guns, and race feed Malaysia gang violence. (2013, November 4). The Malay Mail. https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2013/11/04/drugs-guns-and-race-feed-malaysia-gang-violence/555721
Durai, R. (2020). Malaysian Indian gangsterism remains a bane, yet curbing it altogether is a far cry away. Varnam. https://varnam.my/35740/malaysian-indian-gangsterism-remains-a-bane-yet-curbing-it-altogether-is-a-far-cry-away/
Durairaja, S., Mat Saat, G. A., & Kamaluddin, M. R. (2019). Psychological and criminogenic factors underlying gangsterism among Indians in Malaysia from the perspective of ex-gangsters and police personnel. Psychological Thought, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.5964/psyct.v12i1.312
Elfversson, E., Höglund, K., Sellström, A. M., & Pellerin, C. (2023). Contesting the growing city? Forms of urban growth and consequences for communal violence. Political Geography, 100, 102810. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2023.102810
Esbensen, F.A. & Weerman, F. (2005). Youth Gangs and Troublesome Youth Groups in the United States and the Netherlands: A Cross-National Comparison. European Journal of Criminology 2, 5-37. https://doi.org/10.1177/1477370805048626.
Fox, K. A., & Lane, J. (2010). Perceptions of gangs among prosecutors in an emerging gang city. Journal of Criminal Justice, 38(4), 595-603. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2010.04.041
Freng, A. (2019). Race, Ethnicity, and Street Gang Involvement in an American Context. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology.
Friedman, C. J., Mann, F., & Friedman, A. S. (1975). A profile of juvenile street gang members. Adolescence, 10, 563-607.
Ganapathy, N., & Kwen Fee, L. (2002). Policing minority street corner gangs in Singapore: A view from the street. Policing & Society, 12(2), 139-152.
Gangsters on mean streets. (2016, August 1). The Malay Mail. https://www.malaymail.com/news/ malaysia/2016/08/01/gangsters-on-mean-streets/1173403
Gibson, C. J. (2023). Fraternal new member processes: An alumni perspective. Eastern Illinois University.
Gómez, Á., Martínez, M., Martel, F. A., López-Rodríguez, L., Vázquez, A., Chinchilla, J., & Swann, W. B. (2021). Why people enter and embrace violent groups. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 614657. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.614657
Gramckow, H. P., & Tompkins, E. (1999). Enabling prosecutors to address drug, gang, and youth violence. Juvenile Accountability Incentive Block Grants (JAIBG) Program Bulletin.
Hallsworth, S., & Silverstone, D. (2009). 'That's life innit': A British perspective on guns, crime and social order. Criminology & Criminal Justice, 9(3), 359-377.
Herbert, W. (2021). From brawler to boss: Old school yakuza careers and modern times. The Yakuza in Popular Media: Honorable Criminals or Violent Gangsters? 21.
Higginson, A., Benier, K., Shenderovich, Y., Bedford, L., Mazerolle, L., Murry, J. (2015). Preventive interventions to reduce youth involvement in gangs and gang crime in low-and middle-income countries: A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 11(1), 1-176. https://doi.org/10.4073/csr.2015.18
Hochhaus, C., & Sousa, F. (1987). Why children belong to gangs: A comparison of expectations and reality. The High School Journal, 71(2), 74-77.
Howell, J. C., & Egley, A. (2005). Moving risk factors into developmental theories of gang membership. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 3(4), 334–354. https://doi.org/10.1177/1541204005278679
Hunter, D., McCallum, J. and Howes, D. (2019). Defining Exploratory-Descriptive Qualitative (EDQ) research and considering its application to healthcare. Journal of Nursing and Health Care, 4(1), 1-7. http://dl6.globalstf.org/index.php/jnhc/article/view/1975
Jackson, A. (204). Prosecuting Gang Cases. What local Prosecutors need to Know. American Prosecutors Institute. https;//www.ndaa.apri.org.
Jankowski, M. S. (1991). Island in the street: Gangs and American urban society. University of California Press.
Karmakar, S., Saha, A., & Bbharati, V. (2016). Socio-spatial explanation of crime: A study on Kolkata metropolitan area. Transactions, 38(2), 191.
Kvale, S. (1996). Interview Views: An Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing. Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications.
Lee Lam Thye. (2017, May 3). Sekolah, polis perlu bekerjasama atasi gangsterisme. Berita Harian. https://www.bharian.com.my/berita/nasional/2017/05/278575/sekolah-polis-perlu-bekerjasama-atasi-gangsterisme
Marimuthu, S., Malayalam, N. & Sukadari, (2020). Family Socio-Economic Status As An Impilse Factor of Gangsterism Among Indian Moral Education Student In Secondary School. Muallim Journal of Social Science and Humanities. 60-78. 10.33306/mjssh/97.
McCorkle, R. C., & Miethe, T. D. (1998). The political and organizational response to gangs: An examination of a “moral panic” in Nevada. Justice Quarterly, 15(1), 41-64. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418829800093561
Miller, J. and Glassner, B. (1997), “The ‘inside’ and the ‘outside’: finding realities in interviews”, in Silverman, D. (Ed.), Qualitative Research: Theory, Method and Practice, Sage, 99‐112.
Moorthy, N.T., Inbaraj, A., & Rahim, M. (2019). Exploring the Profile of Gangsterism in Malaysia from the Perspective of Experts. Journal Forensic Crime, 3, 101. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:199526155
Morgan, J., & Suhaili, S. (2020). Gangsterism among Indian youth in Penang. Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 9(2), 259-268.
Muhammad, M. (2019). Media violence contents and its effect on the audience. Forum Komunikasi, 14(2), 40-63. https://ir.uitm.edu.my/id/eprint/48458/1/48458.pdf
Nataraja Moorthy, T., Aaron Inbaraj, D., & Mohammad Rahim, K. (2019). Exploring the profile of gangsterism in Malaysia from the perspective of experts. J Forensic Crime Stu, 3, 101.
Over 40,000 members in 49 gangs involved in firearms, murder, drugs and extortion, says Home Ministry. (2013, August 29). The Star. http://.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2013/08/29/40000-members-in-gangs-say-home-ministry/
Paternoster, R., & Mazerolle, P. (1994). General strain theory and delinquency: A replication and extension. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 31(3), 235-263.
Petrus, T., & Uwah, C. (2019). Theatre of the street: Drama and performance as a potential gang intervention strategy and social development resource in affected communities in South Africa. Journal of Social Development in Africa, 34(2), 89-111.
Pih, K.K., DE LA Rosa M., Rugh, D. & Mao, K.(2008). Different Strokes for Different Gangs? An Analysis of Capital Among Latino and Asian Gang Members. Sociol Perspect. 1, 51(3), 473-494. doi: 10.1525/sop.2008.51.3.473. PMID: 19578563; PMCID: PMC2705161
Ratcliffe, J. H. (2016). Central American police perception of street gang characteristics. Policing and Society, 26(3), 291-311. https://doi.org/10.1080/10439463.2014.942847
Raviechandran, S., & Tharshini, N. K. (2023). Gang Membership among Malaysian Indian Young Adults. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(7), 1325 – 1344. http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v13-i7/17428
Rebecca Rajaendram. (2022, December 11). Education ministry sets sights on tackling racism, extremism, gangsterism in schools. The Star.
Royal Malaysia Police. (2013, August 30). Logo kumpulan kongsi gelap didedah [Press release]. https://www.facebook.com/pdrmsiaofficial?locale=ms_MY
Shankar Durairaja, Geshina Ayu Mat Saat, & Mohammad Rahim Kamaluddin. (2019). Exploring demography and sociological factors underlying decisions to join gangs among Indians. AKADEMIKA, 89 (1), 33-43.
Shelden, R. G., Tracy, S. K., & Brown, W. B. (2013). Youth gangs in American society. Palgrave Macmillan.
Sidhu, A. S. (2005). The rise of crime in Malaysia: An academic and statistical analysis. Journal of the Kuala Lumpur Royal Malaysia Police College, 1(4), 1-28.
Silverman, D. (1993). Interpreting qualitative data: Strategies for analysing talk, text and interaction. Sage.
Sim, J. (2015). Dei, why are so many Malaysian gang members Indian? Cili Sos.My. https://cilisos.my/dei-why-are-so-many-malaysian-gang-members-indian/
Skogan, W.G. (2019). The Future of CCTV. Criminology & Public Policy, 18(1),161-166. https://doi.org/10.1111/1745-9133.12422
Spergel, I. A. (1995). The youth gang problem: A community approach. Oxford University Press.
Suppiah, V. S., Muthusamy, P., & Ismail, I. A. (2021). Family structure of the Malaysian Indian youth involved in gangsterism. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(11), 221-230.
Tharshini, N. K., & Ibrahim, F. (2022). Risk factors contributing to recidivism: A literature review. Jurnal Psikologi Malaysia, 36(2), 32-40. https://spaj.ukm.my/ppppm/jpm/issue/view/46
Van Deuren, S., Blokland, A., & Kleemans, E. (2022). Examining membership of Dutch outlaw motorcycle gangs and its association with individual criminal careers. Deviant Behavior, 43(7), 880-895. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2021.1919498
Walker-Barnes, C. J., & Mason, C. A. (2001). Ethnic differences in the edict of parenting on gang involvement and gang delinquency: A longitudinal, hierarchical linear modelling perspective. Society for Research in Child Development, 72(6), 1814–1831. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3654380
Weerman, F. M., & Esbensen, F. A. (2005). A cross-national comparison of youth gangs: The United States and the Netherlands. In S. H. Decker & F. M. Weerman (Eds.), European street gangs and troublesome youth groups (pp. 219–255). AltaMira Press.
Wells, L. E., & Weisheit, R. A. (2001). Gang problems in nonmetropolitan areas: A longitudinal assessment. Justice Quarterly, 18(4), 791-823. https://doi.org/10.1080/07418820100095081
Whittemore, R., Chase, S. K., & Mandle, C. L. (2001). Validity in qualitative research. Qualitative Health Research, 11, 522–537. doi:10.1177/104973201129119299
Without Sosma Malaysia would be at the mercy of criminals and terrorists, says home minister. (2022, March 23). The Malay Mail. https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/03/23/without-sosma-malaysia-would-be-at-mercy-of-criminals-and-terrorists-says-h/2049083
Wong, I. W. J., Toh, D. P., Hung, P. P. L., & Ang, R. P. (2013). Delinquency in gangs—Selection or socialization? Aggression and Violent Behaviour, 18(6),784-791. https://doi.org/10.1016/j/avb2013.09.001
Zhang, S., & Chin, K. L. (2003). The declining significance of triad societies in transnational illegal activities: A structural deficiency perspective. British Journal of Criminology, 43(3), 469-488. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/43.3.469
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Copyright (c) 2024 Dr, Dr, Dr, Mr.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
1. Author holds the copyright of the article.
2. Jurnal Sains Insani owns the rights to publish the article. The writer may request permission to republish the article from the editor.
3. Jurnal Sains Insani follows the APA (American Psychological Association) style for all in-text citation and list of bibliographies.
