KUCHING: Sarawak Minister of Youth and Sports, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah has reiterated the importance of youth in nation-building.
He mentioned that the youth will bear a greater share of responsibility along the way, thus they must be ready to take on the role and lead in order to safeguard the state as well as country.
“That is why the ministry is concerned because we hope that those who will inherit leadership in our society in the future are those who are responsible, have a high level of volunteerism, community-oriented, and can establish a larger community outside of their own family, to become the state and country’s successors in the future.
“We also want young leaders to take their roles seriously. We want to see these youths mature so that they can care for future youths and us (the older generation) when we can no longer participate in the community and the state leadership. We need leaders, from those who are responsible,” he said during Youth Programme (Program Ziarah Belia @ Samariang 2021) on Thursday (Sept 30).
Abdul Karim, who is also the state’s minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MTAC), explained that the state government established the Ministry of Youth and Sports to care for sports as well as for the youth in the state.
“We want to see youth, not just in Samariang but across the state, shaped into responsible citizens who can be depended on by the government in the future.
“That is why we organise so many programmes to meet with the youths to discuss, converse, and listen to their aspirational objectives so that we can alter more programmes to fit their needs and desires,” he explained.
Despite knowing that not all will partake in the responsibilities, Abdul Karim hoped that there will be a lot of youth who will stand tall to the aspiration and continue to become the best for the state.
“Even in the face of various obstacles, the spirit must not fade. There will be a cycle in life where one would face several difficulties and hardships, therefore, the youth must be conscientious in order to assist the younger generations in becoming a good society,” he added.
Also present were the Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Law, State-Federal Relations, and Project Monitoring) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, Ministry of Youth and Sports acting permanent secretary Nancy Jolhi, and other dignitaries.
