BANGI, July 12 — More than 60,000 youths are expected to participate in the Rukun Negara school programme by the end of this year, said Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim.
The initiative is aimed at providing the group with an understanding and knowledge of national democracy.
He said youth aged 15 to 30 can participate in the programme, which is implemented in three phases, namely the basic, intermediate, and advanced courses.
“Rukun Negara School is a national programme to answer questions about political literacy among youth. In this programme, we do not just lecture, but we encourage participants to make this Rukun Negara School a space for expression.
“The aim is to ensure that we provide political and democratic education in line with current needs where 18-year-old students are already voters. It is unfair that we burden them with responsibilities without giving them space to discuss politics in a healthy way,” Adam Adli told reporters after launching the programme, earlier today.
The basic course will last for half a day and can be conducted in schools, universities, campuses, or youth centres.
The three-day intermediate and four-day advanced courses will be held at Kem Wawasan Negara run by the Institute of Leadership Development and Excellence (i-LEAD).
He said the modules used in the Rukun Negara school programme include the Federal Constitution, the Parliament, the electoral process, Rukun Negara principles, elections, and local government.
“Various parties, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and political parties in Malaysia, are involved in the development of the modules under the Rukun Negara School Programme,” Adam Adli said.
So far, 16,759 youth have participated in the programme since its launch on May 6.
The ministry is also aiming for nine million viewers to follow the programme through the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube, which have so far garnered 2.1 million views.
The Rukun Negara School Programme is an initiative of i-LEAD, under the Sports and Youth Ministry, to strengthen integrity on aspects of nationhood and unity based on the appreciation of the principles of Rukun Negara and the Federal Constitution, to enhance youth knowledge and understanding of the democratic system in Malaysia.
The objectives include increasing the youth’s awareness and understanding of the system of parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarch and strengthening the spirit of patriotism, identity and national unity to be a responsible citizen.
This includes disseminating the concept of Madani Malaysia, which is based on an understanding of the principles of Rukun Negara and the Federal Constitution.
— Bernama
