KOTA KINABALU – The Sabah Youth Council (SYC) has called on the federal government to address issues facing 2.2 million youths in the state for Budget 2023 in an effort to weather the nation’s rising inflation.
SYC president Abqaree Fawwaz Abakan said a study carried out by the council on urban area youth in the state revealed that they are ill-prepared to face the currently volatile economy.
The study, he said, also revealed that many of them do not have savings, and only 20% of 2.2 million youths in Sabah aged 15 to 40 years old are in the high-income bracket, with at least 200,000 of them unemployed.
The problem, he said, is further compounded by the higher cost of goods in Sabah compared with other parts of Malaysia.
“Up until August, the inflation has risen by 4.7%, and this has negatively affected the purchasing powers and heavily affected the cost of living in the state.
“The council also took into account youth concerns over the hikes in the overnight policy rate, which were done to control inflation and balance the country’s economic growth.
“A total of 45,900 youth from Sabah have already migrated to the peninsula to look for work this year alone.
“Sabah is losing its own assets and it is the council’s hope that the (federal) government would intensify economic stimulus among the youth in Sabah,” he said here today.
Dewan Rakyat sittings resumed today and will focus on the national budget, which is expected to be tabled by Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz at 4pm on Friday.
Meanwhile, Abqaree proposed several solutions for the government to take up in Budget 2023 to address the issues faced by Sabah’s youth, which hinges around finances.
“For the economy, increase Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia cash aid for the poor by 50% from RM1,000 to RM1,500 next year, beef up financial aid for entrepreneurs, improve income via education, reduce the selling prices of houses, and further improve eco-tourism,” he said.
Abqaree said the government also needs to look into mental health, saying the issue contributes to Sabah’s high divorce and suicide rates.
He said 4,010 couples in the state divorced in 2021 due to the lack of education on domestic management, and the state also saw an 81% increase in suicide cases from 631 cases in 2020 to 1,142 cases in 2021.
Abqaree also called on the federal government to improve the internet coverage in Sabah as the service would allow youth to generate an income via e-commerce. – The Vibes, October 3, 2022
