KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 — The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) is exploring incentives to encourage more youth to participate in the 10 lifestyle initiatives under Rakan Muda.
Minister Hannah Yeoh said so far, four strategic partners of Rakan Muda — Grab, Foodpanda, Shopee, and Lazada — have provided incentives such as discounts and special vouchers for the programme’s participants.
“We are gathering data from our strategic partners on the most popular rewards and those that appeal most to the youth,” she told a press conference during a session of the National Youth Consultative Council Conference here today.
Rakan Muda covers 10 lifestyle categories: Rakan Demokrasi, Rakan Litar, Rakan Aktif, Rakan Bumi, Rakan Digital, Rakan Ekspresi, Rakan Muzik, Rakan Mahir, Rakan Niaga, and Rakan Prihatin.
Yeoh clarified there are no plans to make Rakan Muda participation mandatory for youth, preferring to keep it voluntary.
“They (youth) join because it aligns with their lifestyle. We cannot force anyone to participate,” she added.
Yeoh also noted that Rakan Muda had recorded 1,161,148 participants through 654 programmes as of June.
Rakan Digital, focusing on digital technology, social media, and digital platforms, has garnered over five million views, she said.
Meanwhile, Yeoh said three key proposals were discussed by delegates at the conference, promoting healthy eating and active lifestyles among youth, increasing preschool availability and offering free preschool education, and establishing the Future Generations Welfare Act.
“What I see this time is that the proposals made are very good because they (the delegates) truly understand the challenges faced by young people. We used to focus on students, but now the discussion includes issues like childcare for young parents, which is very relevant for those already in the workforce,” she explained.
All proposals, she said, will be reviewed and discussed at the next session in November.
Also present were Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim, KBS secretary-general Nagulendran Kangayatkarasu, and Malaysian Youth Council president Mohd Izzat Afifi Abd Hamid.
— Bernama
