ASEAN should engage with youths – Munir

SHAH ALAM: The ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEANBac) Malaysia has called upon ASEAN to engage with the youths in shaping the region’s future and direction.

Chairman, Tan Sri Dr Mohd Munir Abdul Majid said there should be a more broad-based involvement of ASEAN youth, especially when it comes to the regional organisation’s future, character and policies.

"ASEAN should engage with them to find out what they want from the organisation in the future," he said during a question-and-answer session at the Selangor-ASEAN Business Conference 2017.

It was launched by Selangor Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali here, yesterday. Mohd Munir had earlier presented a paper entitled, "Private Sector Assessment of AEC and What More Needs to be Done to Make ASEAN a Truly Integrated Economic Region".

He noted that 60 per cent of the region’s population was under the age of 35, and emphasised the importance of setting up an ASEAN Youth Council, as well as the need to draft an ASEAN social and education policy document, in view of the association’s 50th anniversary this year.

On another note, he said Malaysia should not shy away from investments from China or any other country.

“Investments or projects financed by external parties in Malaysia should be able to generate enough cash flow to service the loans,” he added.

Meanwhile, on his wishlist for the upcoming 2018 Budget, he said more should be done to educate youths on the needs and challenges of the digital economy.

The two-day Selangor-ASEAN Business Conference which ends tomorrow will see 23 local and international speakers from the public and private sectors sharing insights on investment and business opportunities in ASEAN. — Bernama