Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has called for Malaysian youth to be involved in politics in order to effect change. He said 25 per cent of the world’s population are between 15 to 30 years of age.
“The youth are those who dictate the world’s economy. Companies spent millions in studying how to market to this group,” he said in his closing speech at the National Aspiration and Leadership Summit at Merdeka Hall, Putra World Trade Centre, here today.
The Umno youth chief said although the youth were the future of the world, government policies around the world do not favour them because they do not vote and are not involved in politics. “The youth are not exercising their political power to make critical changes where they see are needed,” he said.
In order to make these changes, Khairy said it was crucial that youth in the country get themselves informed and involved in politics. Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin delivers a closing speech at the National Aspiration and Leadership Summit at Merdeka Hall, Putra World Trade Centre. Pix by MOHAMAD SHAHRIL BADRI SAALI
“I know most of you have no trust and no interest in politics because you feel no changes have been done, but now is the time for you to make these changes. In order to do so, you must be in politics,” he said.
Khairy said as the biggest consumer, the youth were not involved in policy-making and the political process, and that was a big loss. He also said the best way for the government to help the youth was to step aside and let them decide how to run their programmes.
“The government will still need to give its gentle guidance but not tell them what to do, and instead only facilitate them in executing their programmes,” he said adding that the youth had to discover their own talents and work on using that talent to help improve the community around them.
At a press conference after the summit, Khairy commented on Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi’s statement about the intake of foreign labour due to lack of demand for the jobs from the local workforce.
Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin at the National Aspiration and Leadership Summit at Merdeka Hall, Putra World Trade Centre. Pix by MOHAMAD SHAHRIL BADRI SAALI
“I take the comment by the deputy prime minister as an explanation of the intake of foreign labour, and there is a need but limited to the ‘Dirty, Difficult and Dangerous’ job scope that not many local youth are interested in,” he said.
He said if Malaysian youth were willing to do these jobs, the government could reduce its reliance on foreign labour. The National Aspiration and Leadership Summit (Nals) was aimed at providing Malaysian youth with opportunities to be involved and informed with the latest development in the country.
Over 2,000 participants attended the one-day summit that featured eight prominent speakers including Khairy, Minister of Agriculture and Agro based Industry Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Razali Ibrahim and Senator Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi.
“DEVELOPMENT ROUND TABLE“
– Working & Studying – The Changing Trends of a young workforce – 23rd February, 2016
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