By Yasmin Ramlan
SUBANG JAYA, Jan 6 — In support of enhancing public speaking skills among youths, the Selangor government has set aside RM40,000 for a programme that will benefit more than 100 participants.
State executive councillor for youth, sports and entrepreneurship Najwan Halimi said that the participants not only have the opportunity to improve their public speaking skills but also broaden their knowledge through the programme.
Additionally, the programme includes a networking module, contributing to the professional development of the participants.
“The state government fully supports the efforts, recognising the potential Selangor youths to motivate themselves to become proficient communicators in Malay as the national language and enhance their proficiency in English, particularly among professionals.
“We hope that our objective in providing the youth in Selangor, especially in public speaking, the right exposure. The programme not only fosters a current collaboration with Toastmasters International but also opens up potential partnerships with other relevant associations, which provides additional value to the youths in the state,” he told reporters in a press conference after launching the Public Speaking Workshop 2024 at Sunway University, here today.
The workshop involving 110 participants from diverse backgrounds and professions will run for nine months until September. Upon completing the module, the participants will receive a certificate of participation.
Meanwhile, Najwan emphasised that the allocated funds under his portfolio would be utilised for various programmes, extending beyond sports and leisure activities to include intellectual and self-empowerment initiatives.
“We are committed to ensuring the incorporation of soft skills in our programmes, particularly focusing on self-efficacy and public speaking abilities.
“This approach aims to unlock and develop the full potential of participants and their unique talents,” he said.
On a separate matter, Najwan stressed that the state government is identifying areas that need more exposure to online transactions for the Platform Selangor (PLATS) campaign, which will be expanded to all Ramadan bazaars statewide this year.
“While our focus will span throughout the state, we aim to identify and support potential within the entrepreneurial community in rural areas.
“These communities have yet to be introduced to the concept of online transactions, and we aim to bridge that gap,” he said.
He said the state government will partner with relevant agencies and telecommunication companies to increase exposure to technology digitalisation to boost the efforts.
PLATS, introduced following the movement control order (MCO) during the Covid-19 three years ago, helps small and medium-sized enterprises adapt to business digitalisation.
The initiative will also use PLATS digital Rahmah Coupons, which will be distributed to the public via quick response (QR) codes.
Meanwhile, when asked about the Malaysia Games (Sukma) 2024, Najwan said that Selangor is strategising for an increased medal count to emerge as winners this time since the upcoming biennial national multi-sporting event would see more sports contested, totalling 37 compared to the 31 sports in 2022.
“We are actively developing an athlete development programme and making the necessary preparations for Sukma 2024, which is set to take place in August in Sarawak.
“Over four months, our focus is on development programmes to identify new talents or potential athletes for the games,” he said.
The 20th Sukma in 2022 witnessed more than 31 sports contested involving the organisation of 426 events at several selected locations, including the Klang Valley, Nilai and Langkawi.
In the games from September 16 to 24, 2022, the Selangor contingent recorded a medal tally of 31 gold, 55 medals, and 44 bronze, bringing the total figure to 130.
