PUTRAJAYA, Nov 11 — Youth in Malaysia are now bolder to get involved and become ‘important people’ in policy-making and government policies, said Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
She said her ministry is aware that the characteristics of youth have changed along with the speed of technology with challenging economic, social, and political changes.
“Youth are also now more courageous, they want to be involved and be part of the solution to a problem,” Yeoh said when officiating the 2023 National Youth Awards (APBN) today.
Based on data from the Statistics Department, Malaysian youths aged between 15 and 30 years in 2022 stood at 9.6 million people, almost 30 per cent of all Malaysians.
“The quality and well-being of youths’ lives should be a priority because the youth group, which is almost 30 per cent, are the leaders of the country today who determine the direction and future of the country,” she said.
Several engagement sessions were held with stakeholders, including youths, through town hall sessions with the Malaysian Youth Council (MBM) as well as a Budget 2024 consultative session to listen to their challenges and suggestions.
Meanwhile, Yeoh said the Rakan Muda initiative, which was given a new lease of life with ten lifestyles in June, now has 1,074,934 members with 3,888 programmes implemented.
The Rakan Muda programme, re-launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on June 25, involved ten new lifestyles, which are Rakan Demokrasi, Rakan Litar, Rakan Aktif, Rakan Bumi, Rakan Digital, Rakan Ekspresi, Rakan Mahir, Rakan Niaga, and Rakan Prihatin.
“I want as many young people as possible to benefit from these programmes (Rakan Muda), especially in empowering each other’s potential and talents, improving skills and expanding networking,” she said.
In a press conference later, the minister said an RM20 million allocation under the 2024 Budget would be channelled to each state to hold Rakan Muda programmes.
— Bernama
