Johor Youth Council accuses Syed Saddiq of meddling in state affairs

JOHOR BARU, July 12 — The Johor Youth Council (JYC) today alleged that Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has been meddling in the state's youth movement.

JYC president Md Salleheen Mohamad said the council believes that Syed Saddiq is clueless about the state's youth movement after the latter set up the Youth Power Club in 222 parliamentary constituencies led his Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s Youth wing at the division level.

“So, it is clear that the Youth and Sports Minister is not interested in empowering youth development in the country, but has constantly meddled in youth politics for power and position,” said Salleheen in a statement here.

The Youth Power Club, which was officially launched by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in May, plays the role of raising the involvement of youths in organisations and tp activate their involvement at the grassroots level in community work.

However, Johor pro-Barisan Nasional organisations have criticised the setting-up of the clubs as Pakatan Harapan’s political tool.

Salleheen also questioned Syed Saddiq’s pledge to set up a special committee to address the youth unemployment rate and that would ensure its unemployment rate declined from 11 to 10 per cent.

He pointed-out that the minister had since implemented the age cap for youths as a measure to reduce the unemployment rate through the proposed amendments to the Youth Societies and Youth Development 2007.

At the same time, Salleheen said the council would like to inform Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that after 400 days, all main youth bodies at the national, state as well as district levels have no longer received their administration allocation as was the case with the previous government.

He said given the context, Muhyiddin could himself imagine how the Home Ministry expects to function if it didn’t receive funding provisions for operational costs such as salaries and utility bills.

Yesterday, Muhyiddin was reported saying that Johor’s move to maintain its youth age limit at 40 will affect the state’s youth movements in the future.

The Pagoh MP and veteran Johor politician said since the federal government has passed the law, it is advisable for states under PH to follow suit.