PUTRAJAYA, Feb 3 — Youth and Sports Minister Mohammed Taufiq Johari and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Zulkifli Hasan today said their agencies will cooperate on strengthening youth development in religious institutions, especially mosques, through the Rakan Muda programme.
Taufiq said national development requires the involvement of competitive youth who can become future leaders, and that such efforts must start at an early stage.
“Mosques are not only houses of worship, but also places to nurture character and identity among youths.
“They can also serve as gathering places for young people to generate meaningful ideas, while functioning as venues for sports and community activities, helping to produce youth who are physically and spiritually healthy,” he said at a joint media conference with Zulkifli here today.
Earlier, the two ministers had discussed various topics including the role of religious institutions such as mosques in developing youth’s potential through the Rakan Muda programme.
Taufiq said his ministry is open to expanding similar initiatives to other houses of worship, such as temples and shrines, in line with efforts to produce a healthy, resilient and ethical young generation.
“Our target is youth across Malaysia, and secondly, across religions. This means not only Muslim youth, but also non-Muslims. Details on implementation and programme types will be announced on February 16,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zulkifli said a more proactive, progressive and collaborative approach would form the basis of the cooperation between the two agencies.
“We are shifting towards a more proactive, progressive and dynamic approach. We can no longer work in isolation and must collaborate with KBS to strengthen our efforts.
“What we are doing is not only about spirituality, but also about nation-building and strengthening unity. It is not just about Muslims, but about enhancing interaction among all religions and communities,” Zulkifli said.
