My Longkang

Deco pic from archives

I had intended to blog about this for a few weeks but the subject matter is unpleasant. However I met a man yesterday who changed my mind. After talking to him I decided to share his experience so parents out there may be more aware of the potential of their children mixing with the wrong sort and going astray.

I first noticed this particular group of teenagers around town a few months ago. They hang around shopping malls and the fronts of shops. They mix freely with each other and some are as young as thirteen. They sometimes dance or sing whenever they feel like it. Both boys and girls. They sometimes can be seen loitering around town even on school nights.

Generally they don’t make a nuisance of themselves but due to their crowding together, it does impede flow of traffic at busy pedestrian centres but nothing serious. I was wondering to myself if these young kids attended school, were dropouts or were just playing truant. I also wondered to myself if the parents of these kids knew what their kids were up to and who their friends were.

The man I met yesterday told me yesterday the story about a kid who is a part of this crowd. Apparently he hasn’t come home for a few days already. This particular kid was seen foraging for food at the rubbish bins beside Wisma Sanyan going through the refuse cast away by a leading fast food outlet there. The parents dragged him home and sent him to school. The others were afraid of him and his connections and occasionally ‘gave’ him some money. Nevertheless he left school soon after to return to the streets. No body knows where he sleeps but he still looks clean. He has a gang of friends

They watch out for each other and take care of each other. They show no signs of drug involvement but I fear this dropping out of the school system at such a tender age might have deep implications for these kids’ future.

Yes, we know kids at this age are easily influenced by their peers. But as parents we mustn’t be too liberal or sometimes the system goes haywire. Before we know it, the situation is out of control. The kid mentioned above has disappeared again. But the parents are not optimistic. He is not skinny or anything which is a sign of starvation. Meaning he will survive but is this the future we want for these kids or our kids?

Lest any party thinks I am spicing up this post, I am trying to keep all the details I can’t verify personally to the barest minimum. Tough love is sometimes better than being too liberal.