SENDAI, Japan: Citing Facebook innovator Mark Zuckerberg and other young entrepreneurs who have created YouTube and Twitter, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said youths should not only think of themselves as job seekers, but also as would-be job creators.
Speaking before 100 students at Tohoku University here, Najib said all around the world, the young are inspiring others with their inventions, and are well-placed to take advantage of the constantly changing environment.
“Twenty-three years ago there were no websites. Now there are over one billion. Exploring and making the most of the online world is second nature to young people, as they have grown up with this technology – indeed, can probably hardly imagine life without it,” he said.
Najib said youths drove innovation, citing Zuckerberg who started Facebook when he was a student at Harvard University, and by the age of 23 became a billionaire.
Back home, Najib said hiring a taxi has been revolutionised by a young Malaysian, and the MyTeksi company has spread to five other countries in Southeast Asia and likely to be listed soon.
“In Malaysia, the government recently launched a Youth Policy aimed at maximising the potential of all our young people,” said Najib, adding that the government wanted to ensure that they have the skills necessary for Malaysia to achieve its goal of becoming a high income status country by 2020.
He said the government was already assisting young people financially to help them buy their first homes, as well as allocating funds to develop a youth city, to provide a comprehensive ecosystem for the young to increase their capabilities and progress in work, business and entrepreneurship, as well as to enjoy housing and recreational facilities.
“And we devoted 21 per cent of our budget for this year to education. That is equivalent to 3.8 per cent of our GDP — more than double the average of our neighbours. That is a huge investment. But it is for the future of our country,” he said.
According to him, Malaysia’s emphasis on education went beyond its shores, saying that thousands of Malaysians were studying overseas, with more than 2,200 (Malaysian) students currently studying in Japan. — Bernama