MIRI: The future is in the hands of young people and they must therefore seize opportunities to expand their knowledge and skills.
“In this new era of digitalisation, people are engaged in digital ecosystems where the boundaries are boundless and that is why our young people need to build their knowledge so that you have a better understanding of the world around you,” said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg at the opening of the two-day ‘Projek Suara’ workshop here on Saturday (Jan 22).
He said the young in Sarawak need to emulate the success story of Jack Ma who built up the technopreneur and e-commerce industries.
“We want our young Sarawakians to be far-sighted,” he pointed out in his virtual address to 36 youths aged 16 to 30 who participated in the programme.
Towards this end Abang Johari expressed confidence that the future for Sarawak is bright because its young people have the potential and ability to lead the state towards becoming a thriving economy.
“Sarawak is fortunate, to have political stability, we are living together peacefully regardless of our religions or backgrounds and we must preserve that,” he asserted.
‘Projek Suara’ is a collaborative project between the Chief Minister’s office (CMO) , Yayasan Perpaduan Sarawak (YPS) amd Owl & Badger Group Sdn Bhd (OB Group).
The programme is aimed at better understanding the growing importance and potential for youth participation in the discourse of development in Sarawak.
“This platform provides a ‘voice’ for young people on their views and needs to the government which will be a crucial input for us in policy making,” he said
As for youth participation in politics, he said, leaders come and go, and that when the time was right, he would hand the baton to the young generation.
“That is why our young people need to be well prepared and trained … for example in the year 2030, those who are now aged eight and 10, would be 18 and 20-year-olds , and eligible to cast their votes to determine the future of Sarawak,” he said.
Present at the programme was Yayasan Perpaduan Sarawak (YPS)’s chief executive Datu Aloysious J Dris.
