Najib: Young people must chart Malaysia’s future

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak urged young Malaysians today to set a sustainable roadmap for the country, after they expressed their vision for Malaysia in the National Transformation 2050 (TN50) programme.

Najib said his sense of confidence that young people sought a better Malaysia was reinforced after listening to youth aspirations discussed during TN50 dialogue sessions.

“Malaysia’s most important asset is the youth. I chose the term canvas since I sought a new canvas for the nation, one where the youths would illustrate it,” he said during the launch of the TN50 Youth Canvas for policymaking.

“You must set the map and think ahead in terms of sustainability and feasibility, ensure that what has been promised is deliverable. I am confident the government of today will do its best for the future generations,” he added.

The TN50 Youth Canvas was launched today after more than a year of dialogues and workshops that compiled the vision of Malaysians aged between 18 and 40 for the country in the year 2050.

Accompanied by Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, Najib heard today the viewpoints of 12 different individuals who shared their views on how to better society and the nation.

Among the topics discussed were the desire for reasonable minimum wage levels, education systems that maximised each individual’s potential, convincing Malaysians to focus on preventative rather than curative medication, and forming a more compassionate and less segregated national identity.

Najib praised the ideas which were put forth during the ceremony, which were the general themes of over 60,000 unique aspirations collected by the Youth and Sports Ministry from more than 100,000 youth who attended its TN50 dialogue sessions.

“As leaders, it is our responsibility to prepare a country with a strong foundation from which future generations can use as a springboard when the torch is passed to them someday,” he said.

The handover also discussed six main themes, including Malaysia’s role in globalisation, making sure everyone has a chance to improve their lives, environmental sustainability, socio-cultural unity, accountability, and a more compassionate society.