KUCHING: The exclusion of youth leaders in the recent minor Cabinet reshuffle does not mean that the state government is sidelining the youth members. Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah (pic) stated this in response to several outcries on social media on the absence of youth leaders leading his newly-divided Youth and Sports Ministry.
“Amidst that, there was also a personal comment from a former journalist where I personally feel that what has been mentioned and debated online…it is not really happening. “If we look at the Youth and Sports Ministry, the assistant minister is a youth leader…that means the element of youth is there,” he told a press conference at Imperial Hotel here, yesterday.
Abdul Karim who is also Asajaya assemblyman and Tourism, Arts, Culture Minister further stated that the prerogative power is in the chief minister’s hands to choose the state Cabinet as well as to fill up the limited posts, which requires a lot of consideration.
“The state law only allocated 10 posts for ministers and plus the chief minister himself, it becomes 11,” he explained.
“And upon decision of appointment, there is just a lot to reconsider such as component party, age, racial group, region and others.” Abdul Karim hoped that the youth out there can be patient, adding that there are a lot of methods to develop the youth. “If we look at the appointment of the councillors, a lot of them are youths and this is a grooming process.
“Even the current Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) deputy chairman Hamzah Brahim is a ‘state exco youth’ and that is one position that is deemed a respect to the youths. There is no issue that youths are being sidelined”.
