KANGAR, May 23 — Malaysian youth today are becoming more mature and wiser in evaluating the effectiveness of a government based on its performance and the country’s achievements, said Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari.

He said the acceptance by the young generation of the current unity government has been positive, including among rural youth who are increasingly aware of current issues and national development.

According to him, young people today no longer focus solely on political rhetoric, but instead assess the government based on economic performance, employment opportunities and national stability.

“What is important now is ensuring that the government demonstrates performance-driven leadership. We want to highlight achievements implemented not only domestically, but also at the Asean and global levels.

“Although the world is currently facing a challenging global crisis, Malaysia has managed to maintain low unemployment and inflation rates while continuing to provide good job opportunities for young people,” he told reporters after opening the state-level Youth Festival in conjunction with National Youth Day 2026 at Dataran Lok 9 in Kuala Perlis today.

Meanwhile, Dr Mohammed Taufiq said national leadership requires a balance between the experience of veteran leaders and the fresh ideas brought by younger leaders to ensure comprehensive national development.

He stressed that young leadership should not be measured solely by age, but also by principles, idealism and leadership qualities that can benefit the people.

“We want to see more young leaders who are brave enough to speak on behalf of the people and step forward to help develop the country,” he said. — Bernama

REMBAU, May 14 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is expected to make several special announcements for youths during the National Youth Day (HBN) 2026 celebration at X Park Sendayan tomorrow.

Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari said the prime minister is scheduled to officiate the three-day programme themed ‘Empowering MADANI Youth’ at 9 am.

“Several initiatives would also be launched during the celebration, including the Youth Development Action Plan involving all ministries, which had been discussed at the Cabinet Committee on Youth and Sports Development,” he told reporters here, today.

He said youths were urged to come in large numbers tomorrow morning as HBN would also be held in stages according to states and districts throughout Malaysia, with a target of 4.3 million participations through various programmes implemented nationwide.

According to him, this year’s celebration would feature five main segments, comprising job creation and employment opportunities, leadership, volunteerism and internationalisation, active Malaysia, innovation and digital, as well as culture, arts and music.

Earlier, Mohammed Taufiq officiated the closing ceremony and prize presentation for the 38th Institute of Youth and Sports Skills Training (ILKBS) sports championship held at the National Youth Advanced Skills Institute Chembong (IKTBN Chembong) here.

In his speech at the event, he said his ministry is committed to ensuring that the talents of more than 12,000 IKTBN students nationwide would continue to be empowered and fully utilised, while strengthening their career marketability after graduation.

“They are the future TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) assets of the country. Looking at current developments, job opportunities are no longer focused solely on those who excel academically, but skills-based fields are becoming increasingly important and must also be mastered.

“We aim for the talents of these students not only to be focused on the local industry, but also to become sought after internationally. Currently, the graduate employability rate among these students has reached 97 per cent,” he added. — Bernama