CRITERIOS DE EXCLUSIÓN DE TODOS LOS GRUPOS.

4.2.5.1 The Education Background of the Trainees

In Malaysia, children start schooling at seven. They enter secondary school at thirteen, and they can continue for seven years until Upper Six to sit for the Malaysian Higher School Certificate. This is equivalent to A-Levels in England and Wales.

P a g e 102 | The Malaysian Certificate of Education or SPM is taken in the fifth year of secondary school and is equivalent to O-Levels or GCSEs. The SPM is the minimum requirement to enter public and private universities matriculation courses. Most of the trainees in this study have attained the SPM level of education. However, the sample also included a few respondents such as John and Eta who only attended secondary school until second year (Form 2), while Ali and Nazri both stopped in the fourth year of secondary school (Form 4). Nazri compensated with a certificate in auto spraying. Besides completing the fifth year of secondary school, Azhar and Nikki also achieved skill- based certificates; Azhar obtained a certificate in Maritime while Nikki a certificate in Landscaping both from skills-based institutions. The educational background and work experiences of the trainees are set out in Table 4.2 below:

Table 4.2: Educational Background and Working Experiences of the Trainees

Pseudonym Latest Education Employment / Work Experiences

Nikki Completed Form 5 (SPM) and

possess a Certificate in Landscaping from an skill based institution .

Unemployed

John Form 2 (Year 9) Farming such as planting vegetables

Mas Form 3 equivalent to Year 10 Assisting his cousin repairing cars and

motorcycles at his workshops

Ali Form 4 (Equivalent to Year 10/11)

and continue at a community college but later abort due to this case.

Work temporarily at a forwarding agency together with his father.

Andy Completed Form 5 Previously a General worker at a chicken

processing plant where his father used to work. Currently works at a furniture shop

Nazri Form 4. Have a certificate in auto-

spraying.

Manual worker –fixing glasses for aluminium work (RM 17 a day)

Harun Completed Form 5 but fail the SPM

exam.

Jobless when charged. Has experienced working in construction and also in a bakery. Currently working as a carpenter

Ezat Completed Form 5 Jobless; ambitions to be a police officer

Azhar Completed Form 5. Two years after

SPM he obtained a Maritime certificate from an Institute

Helping his parent in-law selling ‘sate’ at the market together with his wife with a wage of RM 30 a day.

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Eta Schooled until Form 2, cannot afford

to pay for the school expenses and was always sick (pain at the ligament of her leg) so unable to walk to school.

Experienced working as an assistant in

restaurant / café and currently helping her uncle selling refreshments at the city with a daily wage of RM 35 a day. She earned

approximately RM 400 a month.

Abu Completed Form 5 with SPM. Active

in sepak takraw and represent his division at MSSM below 18 years.

Worked with a printing co. for 2 years. A part time barber. At present work as a promoter for the Telecommunication network

Almost all of the trainees such as Nikki, Ezat, Azhar and Abu had attended at least the basic elementary education with most of them attaining the SPM or Malaysian Certificate of Education, which is equivalent to the British O level to GCSE level. Andy also attended the SPM examination with a General certificate while Harun failed the exam.

Ezat claimed that he passed the SPM examination, but that he does not remember his grade as his father keep his result slip. Azhar attains a Maritime Certificate from the Mara Skills Institute (IKM) two years after his SPM. Besides Azhar, Nikki also attended vocational trainings after completing his SPM and obtained a Level 1 Certificate in Landscaping at the Centre of Industrial Development Board (CIDB).

Ali and Nazri on the other hand, only attended school until Form 4. Ali stopped schooling to get married while still in Form 4. He attended an electrical course at a skill institute which was later left due to his conviction. He regretted his decision to quit as he felt that he missed out on acquiring some important skills. Nazri, on the other hand, did not complete his secondary education as he was expelled for fighting while in Form 4. Nevertheless he managed to obtain a Certificate in Auto-spraying with IKM.

Mas chose to leave school after Form 3. He attended six years elementary education at a public primary school then attended secondary education for a year at one of the public schools and later enrolled at another school before quitting at the end of Form 3 citing lack of interest in his study. He obtained 3D and 4Es in Penilaian Menengah Rendah

(PMR) or lower secondary school assessment.

John left school after Form Two., He and does not seem to be interested in continuing his education. During his free time he plants vegetables in the paddy field but only for his own consumption.

P a g e 104 | Eta also stopped going to school after Form Two.She completed her early education at a school village. According to Eta, her mother cannot afford to support her. In addition she had been frequently absent for ill health.

4.2.5.2 Employment and Work Experiences of the Trainees

In general, there are three main types of work the trainees normally did. Among them are general manual work in construction and manufacturing, mechanical work such as repairing bikes, motorcycles and cars, and also food related industry such as in catering services, as a kitchen helper and selling food and drinks. A number of them were jobless at the time of the study.

Nikki used to work as a general worker for a construction at the new army camp near the city when he committed the offence. Harun was working as a carpenter in a construction company but was jobless when charged, while Nazri was employed as a manual worker fixing glasses for aluminum work with a wage of RM 17 a day.

The findings of the study also revealed that the trainees received financial support from their families and friends. This finding is similar to Geert-Hofstede observation on the Malaysian society. Andy was previously a general worker at a chicken processing plant together with his father. Ali worked part-time at a forwarding agency, also with his father. Meanwhile, Azhar and his wife worked as helpers at his father-in-law’s ‘satay’

stalls with a wage of RM 30 per day. Azhar sells the ‘satay’viiat two different places on alternate days. On Thursday and Friday, he sells at the market in a new township, while on Saturday and Monday, he sells ‘satay’ at another market place.

Meanwhile the only female in the group, Eta had been working at various jobs. She finally worked with her uncle selling refreshments and fast-food in the city with a daily wage of RM 35 a day. She experienced work as a waitress in a restaurant / café and a variety of other work as she articulated below:

“Err...I have been working at various places. I worked in a factory processing crisps at (named). The salary is small only RM13 a day. I quit since I can’t

vii

‘Satay’or sate is a dish of marinated, skewered and grilled meat, served with a peanut sauce, cubed- rice, cucumber and slices of onion.

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stand it anymore. My leg is hurting me. After that I worked at [a Café] for my aunty for RM 10 a day for 4 months... After that I worked at a biscuit factory. I work at various places doing various works. I have been working as a maid at a number of houses… After that I worked as a domestic helper doing laundry and cleaning for RM10 per day. I later stayed with my grandparents and I work in town helping my uncle”.

Similarly, Mas did various jobs after he quit school. At first, he worked at a restaurant, then as a helper at a salted fish stall and subsequently worked at a company which imports and exports fish at an industrial park in Kuching, before working for a short while at the Civil Defence Department. After that he worked at a furniture store before helping his friend who is an electrician. The interviews also revealed that Mas was involved in some “illegal” activities such as car smuggling and as an illegal bouncer at a number of night clubs. He also did illegal timber logging to mention a few. At the time of the interview, Mas was working for his cousin repairing cars and motorcycles at a workshop.

Abu worked with a printing company for two years, earning RM 450 a month and he also earned money as a part time barber near his house. At the time of the interview was working as a promoter for a telecommunication company earning RM 25 a day besides working as a kitchen helper at one of the big chain restaurant in town.