New program to replace NS training and BTN programs

KUALA LUMPUR: The Youth and Sports Ministry is planning to launch a new “specialised programme” for youths to replace the scrapped National Service (NS) training and National Civics Bureau (BTN) programmes.

“This will be an intensive programme to create multitalented youth leaders. We are working with Khazanah and Ernst and Young and several other stakeholders such as the Outward Bound School to make this the best youth leadership programme.

“It will be non-partisan and free from political indoctrination, unlike BTN. In fact, we will be inviting representatives from all parties to be a part of this initiative,” said Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

The programme, he said, would cost around RM70 million, a fraction of the cost of the former programmes.

Syed Saddiq was speaking at the launch of the annual United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) State of World Population 2018 report at Universiti Malaya yesterday.

At the launch, UNFPA Malaysia country head Marcela Suazo said the lack of sexuality and reproductive health education for young Malaysians is a “real cause for concern” and could derail Malaysia’s plans to become a developed nation by 2025.

He said that young people in Malaysia are unable to make “the right choices” as they are illequipped with basic knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and rights.

“The consequences are the increasing number of cases of baby dumping and teenage marriages and maternal deaths,” he said.

Acknowledging a need to bump up sexuality and reproductive health education programmes among young Malaysians, Syed Saddiq said the issue was already being discussed at the Cabinet.

Syed Saddiq also pointed out that some strides have been made towards increasing the marriageable age to 18.