In Malaysia, juvenile delinquency is a severe problem. Enacting status offences is one of the legislative remedies to the situation. Status offences refer to the acts that are not criminal per se but become offences because the perpetrators are children. Status offences are covered by a number of legal provisions in Malaysia. This paper aims to look into Malaysia's status offences, the rationale behind them, and whether they violate the equality clause under Article 8(1) of the Federal Constitution. This study applied doctrinal legal research methodology that focused on the legal principles in the statutes and legal institutions. This study conducted doctrinal analysis of case law, legal provisions, legal texts, and databases. This study found that the parens patriae concept explains status offences in public policy. Furthermore, the judicial interpretation of Article 8(1) allows for a distinction to be made between children and adults. The major findings of this research is that in Malaysia, there are wide arrays of laws that can be considered as status offences targeting children. This essay finds that status offences are still relevant but that diversion and rehabilitation should precede harsh penalties when dealing with child offenders. This research suggests that future research focuses on status offences from the perspective of children’s right to life and liberty.
Adam, A. (2022). Anti-tobacco Bill: Those born after 2007 can be fined up to RM5,000 if caught with smoking-related products. Malay Mail. https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2022/07/27/anti-tobacco-bill-those-born-after-2007-can-be-fined-up-to-rm5000-if-caught-with-smoking-related-products/19576
Badayai, A. A. R., Khairudin, R., Ismail, K., and Wan Sulaiman, W. S. (2016). An Exploratory Study on Symptoms of Problem Behaviours among Juvenile Offenders. Jurnal Psikologi Malaysia, 30(1), 69-79.
Alias, N. H. (2018). Tiga kanak-kanak tunggang basikal lajak disaman RM400 setiap seorang. Retrieved from https://www.astroawani.com/berita-malaysia/tiga-kanakkanak-tunggang-basikal-lajak-disaman-rm400-setiap-seorang-171224
Azimi, M. R. (2020). Kanak-kanak tular tunggang motosikal disaman. Kosmo. Retrieved from https://www.kosmo.com.my/2020/11/09/kanak-kanak-tular-tunggang-motosikal-disaman/
Aziz, F. (2016). Minimum drinking age raised to 21, effective 2017. New Straits Times. Retrieved from https://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/06/149036/minimum-drinking-age-raised-21-effective-2017
Bahaudin, N. H. (2021). Kejadian 2018, hari ini disaman. Harian Metro. Retrieved from https://api.hmetro.com.my/mutakhir/2021/11/780763/kejadian-2018-hari-ini-disaman
Child Rights Information Network. (2010). Global Report on Status Offences. https://archive.crin.org/sites/default/files/status_offences_0.pdf
Daly, A. (2013). Demonstrating Positive Obligations: Children's Rights and Peaceful Protest in International Law. George Washington International Law Review, 45(4), 763-813.
Demant, J. (2013).
Darley, M. (2009). Prostitution in Nightclubs in Border Areas of the Czech Republic. Revue Française de Sociologie, 50, 95–124.
Faruqi, S. S. (2019). Our Constitution. Selangor: Sweet & Maxwell Asia.
Harding, F. M., Hingson, R. W., Klitzner, M., Mosher, J. F., Brown, J., Vincent, R. M., Dahl, E., & Cannon, C. L. (2016). Underage Drinking: A Review of Trends and Prevention Strategies. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 51(4), 148-157.
Hasan, N., & Muhammad, M. (2017). The purchase and supply of controlled medicine. Retrieved from http://www.myhealth.gov.my/en/purchase-supply-controlled-medicine/
Howard, C. (1963). Strict Responsibility. London: Sweet & Maxwell.
Islam, M. Z., & Rahman, M. D. (2019). Film Rating and Its Current Challenges in Malaysia and Bangladesh. International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology, 8(5c), 857-860.
Kharel, A. (2018). Doctrinal legal research. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323762486_Doctrinal_Legal_Research.
Mahato, S. K. (2016). Causes and Consequences of Child Marriage: A Perspective. International Journal Of Scientific & Engineering Research,, 7(7), 698-702.
Mazierska, E. W., & Rigg, H. (2021). Challenges to British Nightclubs During and After the Covid-19 Pandemic. Dancecult: Journal of Electronic Dance Music Culture, 13(1), 69-87.
Arshad, M. M. R., Omar, M., & Shahdan, N. A. (2015). Alcoholism among Youth: A Case Study in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. International Journal of Culture and History, 1(1), 21-28.
Naffine, N. (1989). Towards Justice for Girls: Rhetoric and Practice in the Treatment of Status Offenders. Women and Criminal Justice, 1(1), 3-20.
Mahmood, N. A. K., Salleh, C. M. M., Muhammad, A. A., & Mohd, A. (2016). A Study on Child Labour as a Form of Child Abuse in Malaysia. International Journal of Social Science and Humanity, 6(7), 525-529.
Newland, G. (1980). A Comparison of Three Delinquency Prevention Alternatives for Juvenile Status Offenders. (Unpublished PhD thesis). Florida: Florida Atlantic University.
Nour, N. M. (2009). Child Marriage: A Silent Health and Human Rights Issue. Reviews in Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2(1), 51-56.
Parsons, J., Edmeades, J., Kes, A., Petroni, S., Sexton, M., & Wodon, Q. (2015). Economic Impacts of Child Marriage: A Review of the Literature, The Review of Faith & International Affairs, 13(3), 12-22.
Pisciotta, A. W. (1982). Saving the Children: The Promise and Practice of Parens Patriae, 1838-98. Crime & Delinquency, 28(3), 410–425.
Roberson, C. (2010). Juvenile Justice: Theory & Practice. New York: CRC Press.
Schnitzer, S., Bellis, M., Anderson, Z., Hughes, K., Calafat, A., Juan, M., & Kokkevi, A. (2009). Nightlife Violence: A Gender-Specific View on Risk Factors for Violence in Nightlife Settings: A Cross-Sectional Study in Nine European Countries. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 25, 1094-112. 10.1177/0886260509340549.
Shier, H. (2012). What Does 'Equality' Mean for Children in relation to Adults? Nicaragua: Center for Educational Services in Health and Environment.
Siegel, L. J., & Welsh, B. (2007). Juvenile Delinquency: The Core. Boston: Cengage Learning.
Steinhart, D. J. (1996). Status Offences. The Future of Children. The Juvenile Court, 6(3), 86-99.
Nong, S. S. N. A., & Yusoff, M. J. Z. (2017). Protecting the Best Interest of Children Beyond Control: Does Parens Patriae Work? The Law Review, 46-61.
Nong, S. S. N. A., & Yusoff, M. J. Z. (2019). Rehabilitation of Children Beyond Control in Malaysia: Towards Deinstitutionalisation. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 9(3), 449–459.
Tai, S. S., Abu Bakar, S. H., & Islam, M. R. (2019). Poverty and Delinquency: A Qualitative Study on Selected Juvenile Offenders in Malaysia. International Social Work, 62(2), 965-979.
Thuraisingama, A., & Abdul Hadi, S. (2021). Child Marriage in Malaysia: A Myth or Phenomenon. Legal Network Services Articles, 1, cii.
UNICEF. (2013). The Malaysian Juvenile Justice System: A Study of Mechanisms for Handling Children in Conflict with the Law. Kuala Lumpur: UNICEF.
Mahmud, W. W. A., Chang, P. K., & Aziz, J. (2009) Film censorship in Malaysia: sanctions of religious, cultural and moral values. Jurnal Komunikasi, 25, 42-49
Weinberger, A. H., Platt, J., Esan, H., Galea, S., Erlich, D., & Goodwin, R. D. (2017). Cigarette Smoking Is Associated with Increased Risk of Substance Use Disorder Relapse: A Nationally Representative, Prospective Longitudinal Investigation. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 78(2), e152-e160.
Williams, A. F., & Ferguson, S. A. (2002). Rationale for Graduated Licensing and the Risks It Should address. Injury Prevention, 8(Suppl II), 9-16.
