KUALA LUMPUR: The government has agreed to allocate another RM5 million for the Malaysian Youth Council (MBM) to empower youth development.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the decision was made following a request by the council's president, Mohd Izzat Afifi Abdul Hamid.
Anwar said he would hand the matter over to Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh for finalisation.
"Last year, Mohd Izzat requested RM5 million and I approved the amount. However, he requested an additional amount this year, which he did not request last year.
"Hence, only RM5 million was provided as per the previous agreement, alongside an extra allocation provided by the ministry for youth programmes.
"I have also informed Yeoh, (Deputy Youth and Sports Minister) Adam Adli and Mohd Izzat that youth programmes must be prioritised and supported.
"Therefore, I hand the matter over to the minister (Yeoh) so that we can complete the process to allocate RM10 million this year," he said at the 2024 National Youth Day celebration in Dataran Pahlawan, Melaka.
Last year, Anwar announced an RM5 million allocation for the council to empower the youth. He reportedly said the move was in recognition of the hard work and dedication of the council leadership led by Izzat in supporting the Malaysia Madani concept.
Meanwhile, Anwar urged the youth to shoulder the responsibility of bringing the nation to greater heights and reject narrow-minded ideologies.
"The condition with the additional allocation is that we must remember our responsibilities, seek knowledge and ensure we have sufficient information to bring about change.
"The youth are recognised not just by their voices, but also by their ambitions, their idealism, their disdain for corruption and arrogance, and their love for truth and goodness.
"Hence, we must reject narrow-minded racial ideologies and rigid religious understandings that weaken us, and elevate the dignity of religion in terms of good faith and good morals. This is the responsibility of the youth."