KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 — Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said young religious speakers will be used to convey the message of moderation to prevent the young from being influenced by the IS militant group.
"It’s more effective that we use young religious figures who can attract more young Muslims to spread the message of moderation.
"We are not ignoring views of the ulama but we need official voices from youth themselves to spread the message," he told reporters after chairing the National Youth Consultative Council meeting in Cheras, here today.
Khairy said a study conduted by his ministry found that religion was not the main reason why the young generation joined the IS militant group.
"Sometimes, those who are attracted to militant groups did not feel any sense of belonging, they feel that they are outcast, they do not have a part to play in society. They are among those who are vulnerable to extremist groups."
In another development, Khairy said the change in the definition of the youth age limit from 40 years to 30 years will be enforced in 2018.
Currently, 70 percent members of youth associations and organisations are between 30 and 40 years-old.
Meanwhile, asked to comment on the 'Kita Lawan' slogan proposed for the Selangor Malaysia Games (Sukma) contingent, Khairy said it was politically motivated.
"Many people disagree with the slogan proposed by the Selangor Sports Exco member. No action will be taken but there's nothing to prevent them from doing so, but its against sportsmanship (to politicise sports)." — Bernama
