BANGI – The youth will determine the country’s future and must do so based on human values rejecting outdated thinking that divides the nation, said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Such thinking comes from parties that want to divide society, added the prime minister who addressed himself as “Pak Cik Anwar” in front of over 1,000 youths at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia here, today.
“Who will decide Malaysia remains a great country? Not the older generation with outdated thinking, instead it is the young people who will work to save our nation and country,” Anwar said when officiating the relaunch of the Rakan Muda programme.
Getting the youth involved in programmes that embody good values will bring Malaysia to greater heights, Anwar said, adding that this is the approach of his Madani government.
“Rakan Muda is a programme to advocate a generation of pure ideals that applies human values. We have to respect each other, embrace kindness, comradeship, progressiveness, and technology, and reject corruption, hypocrisy, abuse of power, and racism.
“So, this is Pakcik Anwar’s advice to you all this afternoon.
“And I ask you to be mindful in this challenging world. Make good choices.”
Also present at the event were Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh and her deputy Adam Adli Abd Halim, Malaysian Football League chief executive Datuk Stuart Ramalingam, badminton great Datuk Lee Chong Wei, and national track cyclist Datuk Azizulhasni Awang.
Yeoh said the new and improved Rakan Muda programme is expected to receive over one million participants from the ages of 15 to 30.
Various programmes and activities will be carried out by the Youth and Sports Ministry through the 10 “lifestyles” of Rakan Muda, namely Rakan Aktif, Rakan Bumi, Rakan Digital, Rakan Ekspresi, Rakan Muzik, Rakan Mahir, Rakan Niaga, and Rakan Prihatin.
“Two more lifestyles including Rakan Demokrasi will provide the youth with a continuous programme for those who are democratically literate.
“Motorsports is also popular among the youth, so we introduced Rakan Litar.
“The implementation of Rakan Muda is also supported by strategic partners such as Grab, Shopee, Foodpanda, and Lazada.
“For youths (aged 15 to 30) who are interested in participating, they only need to visit the (Youth and Sports Ministry) website and register according to the state and programme they are interested in,” Yeoh said.
When Rakan Muda was introduced in 1994, the emphasis was towards community youth development, whereby youths were mobilised together with local communities in carrying out various activities covering economic, social, and cultural activities.
The programme is aimed at increasing the role of the youth in society and bringing a positive impact on the overall development of the community and the country. – The Vibes, June 25, 2023
