Youth Act on the board
Nurul NazirinPublished: Sep 20, 2005 8:28 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
The Youth and Sports Ministry is drafting the Youth Act and will push for it to be tabled at the next Parliament session or early next year.
The youth and sports minister will push for the Act to be tabled at the next Parliament session or early next year.
The Youth and Sports Ministry is drafting the Youth Act and will push for it to be tabled at the next Parliament session or early next year.
"The ministry is drafting an Act called the Youth Act. We intend to bring the Act to this year's Parliament session or early next year," said its minister Azalina Othman Said at a conference in Kuala Lumpur today.
Among others, the Act will access the need and well-being of young people, she said at the opening of the one-day Youth Leadership: The Challenge of Globalisation conference organised by the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
According to her, the ministry is viewing the matter seriously because half of the country's 11.2 million population is below the age of 40.
She said the Act will provide the young people with the resources they need to develop skills and contribute to the community.
She added that the Act will create a coordinating body that facilitates inter-agency coordination.
"We hope the Act will be accepted by the Cabinet and the Parliament will also provide young people and representatives of youth organisations with opportunities to enter into critical dialogues with other experts and policy makers," she said.
The Act will also ensure that youth organisations are led by those below the age of 40.
Dark future
However, Azalina was quick to point out that the definition of youth as in the age bracket will be left to the parliamentarians to decide.
"If the MPs disagree, disengage and disallow the definition of young people to be below 40, I believe the future of young Malaysians will be very dark," she said, adding that these may not be "wise words from a politician" but as a lawyer she believes in telling the truth and nothing but the truth.
"I would like people to see the Youth Act beyond the age. There are other things that the Act is emphasising on. It is also regarding the progress of young people," she said.
Met by reporters later, Azalina said the Act encompasses both the youth in associations and those who are not.
"I would request everyone to look at it with an open mind. Now, it is still premature to comment. To me, we should look at the Act holistically," she said.
The minister also said that she would raise the Act with the cabinet.
'Wait and see'
Asked about the contents of the Act and how it could protect the Youth, she replied: "A lot of things, you have to wait and see."
In his keynote address earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Mohd Najib Razak said leaders must be bold to visualise and make predictions.
"To me one of the most important aspects of leadership in the 21st century is the need to perform. Performance has become synonymous with leadership," he said.
"I see youth leadership as a critical factor within the overall context of leadership," he said, adding that the young could be seen as a feeder into higher levels of leadership.
Other speakers at the conference included UN special envoy for Burma Razali Ismail and Umno Youth Exco Member Mukhriz Dr Mahathir. New Straits Times Group Editor-in-Chief Kalimullah Hassan chaired the conference.
"The ministry is drafting an Act called the Youth Act. We intend to bring the Act to this year's Parliament session or early next year," said its minister Azalina Othman Said at a conference in Kuala Lumpur today.
Among others, the Act will access the need and well-being of young people, she said at the opening of the one-day Youth Leadership: The Challenge of Globalisation conference organised by the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
According to her, the ministry is viewing the matter seriously because half of the country's 11.2 million population is below the age of 40. She said the Act will provide the young people with the resources they need to develop skills and contribute to the community.
She added that the Act will create a coordinating body that facilitates inter-agency coordination.
"We hope the Act will be accepted by the Cabinet and the Parliament will also provide young people and representatives of youth organisations with opportunities to enter into critical dialogues with other experts and policy makers," she said.
The Act will also ensure that youth organisations are led by those below the age of 40. Dark future
However, Azalina was quick to point out that the definition of youth as in the age bracket will be left to the parliamentarians to decide.
"If the MPs disagree, disengage and disallow the definition of young people to be below 40, I believe the future of young Malaysians will be very dark," she said, adding that these may not be "wise words from a politician" but as a lawyer she believes in telling the truth and nothing but the truth.
"I would like people to see the Youth Act beyond the age. There are other things that the Act is emphasising on. It is also regarding the progress of young people," she said.
Met by reporters later, Azalina said the Act encompasses both the youth in associations and those who are not.
"I would request everyone to look at it with an open mind. Now, it is still premature to comment. To me, we should look at the Act holistically," she said.
The minister also said that she would raise the Act with the cabinet.
'Wait and see'
Asked about the contents of the Act and how it could protect the Youth, she replied: "A lot of things, you have to wait and see."
In his keynote address earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Mohd Najib Razak said leaders must be bold to visualise and make predictions. "To me one of the most important aspects of leadership in the 21st century is the need to perform. Performance has become synonymous with leadership," he said.
"I see youth leadership as a critical factor within the overall context of leadership," he said, adding that the young could be seen as a feeder into higher levels of leadership.
Other speakers at the conference included UN special envoy for Burma Razali Ismail and Umno Youth Exco Member Mukhriz Dr Mahathir. New Straits Times Group Editor-in-Chief Kalimullah Hassan chaired the conference.
View Comments0