A youth survey conducted by the Sarawak Social Development Ministry last year showed that issues related to race or religion were the least concern among youths aged between 15-24, Youth Advisor in the Chief Minister’s Office Larry Sng said today.
He said that particular age group accounted for 89 percent of the 7,600 respondents from throughout the state in the survey, which was conducted to formulate strategic planning for this year’s activities, based on the interest and needs of youths.
“We are to say that as far as such issues are concerned, it is very low in priority because we do not have racial problems here,” he told reporters after a meeting chaired by State Social Development Minister Tan Sri William Mawan to chart the ministry’s roadmap to engage youths and government through social transformation programmes in collaboration with the Local Government and Community Development Ministry here.
Sng said the analysis indicated that students were more focused on trends pertaining to health, education and environment while working youths placed higher priority on issues related to employment, salary and housing.
The state government, especially Mawan’s ministry, had also shown a lot of support and political will to ensure the youths’ interests and aspirations were taken seriously, he said.
– Bernama