Group Disputes Hannah Yeoh S Remarks On Youth Age Policy

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MBM president Mohd Izzat Afifi Abdul Hamid.KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Youth Council (MBM) has refuted claims that it made a "U-turn" on its stance regarding the implementation of the youth age limit of 30 years, scheduled to take effect on Jan 1, 2026.
Its president, Mohd Izzat Afifi Abdul Hamid, described the allegation — made by Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh during a session in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday — as inaccurate and not reflective of the current realities faced by thousands of youth organisations across the country.
"From the outset, MBM has maintained that any effort to restructure the youth leadership landscape under Act 668 must be implemented in a phased and strategic manner, with dedicated funding support. This must take into account the direct impact on grassroots leadership structures and the continuity of existing programmes," he said.
He also said that the RM1.5 million transition fund referenced by the Minister in Parliament was inaccurate.
"For the record, there has been no specific allocation from the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) to MBM or its affiliates for youth leadership transition programmes," he said in a statement released yesterday.
Mohd Izzat said MBM has only received administrative funding and allocations under the Rakan Muda initiative, specifically for implementing programmes aligned with the 10 Rakan Muda lifestyle themes.
In light of this, he said that the minister's statement could be construed as misleading to members of Parliament.
"To date, MBM has only utilised RM1.5 million from the RM3 million announced by the prime minister for the implementation of the youth leadership transition programme nationwide," he added.
He also said that the MBM-KBS Joint Committee on the Youth Age Transition — intended as the primary platform for policy negotiation and oversight — had only convened twice: on Feb 20, 2023 and Sept 20, 2024.
"Since those two meetings, no further formal discussions have taken place," he said.
MBM is therefore urging the government to reconsider the full enforcement of the youth age limit scheduled for Jan 1, 2026.
Mohd Izzat said that this is not an attempt to reject the policy outright, but a call to ensure the stability of youth organisations and the sustainability of ongoing programmes.
"Without a well-structured and comprehensive transition mechanism, there is a significant risk to leadership continuity, fund management, and the ability of youth organisations to nurture the next generation of capable leaders," he warned.
Yesterday, Yeoh told Parliament that youth leaders who are over the age of 30 when the age limit comes into force on Jan 1, 2026 may continue to serve in their roles until their respective organisations hold a new general assembly.
However, she added that these leaders would no longer be eligible for re-nomination, in line with Section 6 of the Youth Societies and Youth Development (Amendment) Act 2019 (Act A1602). - NST

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