‘JOM’ centre to undergo revamp

The fresh and innovative ‘JOM’ centre (Jumpa Orang Muda which means meet the youths) idea was first implemented in 2005.

It was mooted by the Johor MB, Abdul Ghani Othman where envisioned the youths in Johor can get to participate actively in organised activities which are healthy and beneficial and to prevent them from getting involve in unproductive activities.

The state youth and sports department has been entrusted to implement the idea.

After 6 successive years and almost 80,000 youths benefited through the centre, the department thought that it’s time for a revamp and some improvisations to meet the changing interests and needs of today’s youths, said the officer-in-charge of the JOM centre’s programme from the state youth and sports department, Anwar Zamil.

He stressed that the JOM Centre’s activities and image will have a stronger emphasis on 2 aspects and needs to be incorporated, Firstly, the centre must be more youth-friendly and secondly it must also be youth-centric.

Anwar said that, JOM Centre will work very closely with the media community so as to ensure that the programmes and activities of the centre will be given maximum media exposures to inform and disseminate information on the various planned activities and events of the centre to the youths in the state.

The existing activities that the centre have been organising include battle of the bands, paintball, graffiti, motoring, futsal, J-robic, cultural and other sporting events depending on the local youths’ interests.

The JOM Centres’ programmes are organised on more of a carnival-like event and are held twice a month in each and every districts in Johor.

During the carnival-like event, there will have booths disseminating information on education opportunities, skills training, career guidance, entrepreneurial development, economy besides others.

Anwar said that those who are interested to participate in the activities can contact the JOM Centres or the district youth and sports department to gather more information.

The department has put up JOM Centre booths in places where youths gather like in major shopping malls and universities within the state.

He expressed hope that these JOM Centres which is spearheaded by the State Exco for Youth and Sports, Md. Jais Sarday will continue to generate many more responsible youths enabling them to contribute positively to the country development and economy.