A chance for students to interact with ministers

KUALA LUMPUR: Students from private and public universities will have a chance to express their views and ask questions to senior ministers during the National Undergraduates Leadership Conference 2017 (Pemanas 5.0).

Umno Education Bureau chairman Senator Tan Sri Prof Dr Ibrahim Shah Abu Shah said the event, a “warm up” to the upcoming Umno general assembly next month, will see participants directly interacting with key ministers from various portfolios on current issues.

The event will be held for six days from Nov 29 to Dec 4 at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC).

“The conference is aimed to explain the Government’s policies and agenda directly to the students by ministers so they can have a clear view on current issues,” he told reporters yesterday.

The annual conference would have a total of 350 participants from several public and private universities to give their input to the party.

He said there would be more than 20 talks by various ministers in the fields of economy, education, religion and politics.

Among the talks is one on the cost of living by Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin on Nov 30.

The conference will also see a selection of six top speakers being sent for the upcoming Umno General Assembly.

Ibrahim said that this was in line with the conference’s theme that “graduates are the architects of Malaysia’s new era”, aimed at creating future leaders.

The event organised by the Umno Education Bureau was first held in 2013.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is expected to close the conference at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Shah Alam.

“To ensure that all the views of the youth reach the public, we are airing it live on Facebook,” he added.

For live feeds of the talks and debates, those interested can directly visit the conferences’ official Facebook page at Pemanas 2017.