Deputy minister: Vital for govt to listen to voices, needs of youth

MIRI (Aug 9): It is important for the government to listen to the voices and needs of youth when implementing policies or initiatives, said Adam Adli Abd Halim.

The Deputy Youth and Sports Minister said inputs from the younger generations are vital when it comes to implementing policies and initiatives that are aimed at enhancing the development of youths in the country.

“Their inputs are all very important for us to approve policies and identify the type of initiatives and programmes for the community as well as the direction of youth development under KBS (Youths and Sports Ministry),” he said.

He told reporters this after attending the state-level ‘Jumpa Orang Muda (JOM)’ Roadshow townhall session organised by his ministry, at Curtin University Malaysia here yesterday.

Also speaking at the townhall were Deputy Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Sarawak Datuk Dr Ripin Lamat, and Miri MP Chiew Choon Man.

Touching on the programme, Adam Adli said he was impressed with the feedback received from the participants, which were mainly on education and student welfare.

“The JOM Roadshow in Miri today was attended by young people of all ages, and that is very good. A lot of questions asked were very unique, as I rarely see situations like this where issues on education and student welfare were brought up.

“I hope this can be translated as a good determination among the youths in Miri, especially those who have just seen the progress of society through education,” he said.

“I actually received a really rich experience from this session because we received views not only from city youths, but also rural youths who attended our programme today.”

The final session of the seven-day JOM Roadshow concluded yesterday, with Miri being its final stop. The first stop was Kuching, which was followed by Sibu.

The JOM Roadshow is a KBS initiative through the National Youth and Sports Department (JBNS) and the Registrar of Youth Organizations (ROY) Office, aimed to enable youth stakeholders to provide feedback and views on the Youth Leadership Transition Plan draft, directly to the top leadership of KBS.

The feedback and views received will be used to finalise the plan, which will be the driving force behind the implementation of amendments to the Youth Societies and Youth Development Act 2007 (Act 668).

Among the main contents of the amendment to Act 668 is the lowering of the definition of the youth age limit to 30 years, the setting of the age limit for the head or office bearer of a youth organisation from 18 to 30 years old, and limiting the term of the head of a youth organisation to four years.

The amendment was passed in Parliament in 2019, and will come into force on Jan 1, 2026.

The event also saw four youth organisations being given a four-star rating for being active in empowering youths, namely Persatuan Belia Miri, Persatuan Belia Kristian Rhema, Kelab Belia Perkasa Taman Marina and Kelab Belia Lakin Bungan Long Bemang.