Najib (standing, centre) with Zahid (standing, third right) launching the Umno Overseas Club Digital Transformation during the Umno General Assembly at PWTC in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. — Bernama photo
KUALA LUMPUR: Youths today are fortunate to have a platform to discuss the nation’s future post-2020 through the National Transformation 50 (TN50) initiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
Third-year engineering student from University of Sussex, United Kingdom, Mohammad Aliff Asyraf Mohd Azhari, 22, is proud that the government has recognised the capabilities of the younger generation in drawing up strategies to maintain Malaysia as a competitive nation.
“We believe we have a lot of input which could develop the nation under the Prime Minister’s guidance to go forward,” he told Bernama here.
The brainchild of Najib, who is also Umno President, TN50 is a futuristic policy to map out the nation’s journey into the next 30 years after 2020.
It will begin with the involvement of the younger generation of all races through national discourses, as decided by the Cabinet, and to be coordinated by the Youth and Sports Ministry.
In his policy speech at the 2016 Umno General Assembly, Najib said TN50 was an important vehicle to build a credible race as well as minds which were par excellence.
Mohammad Aliff Asyraf said the TN50 initiative was proof that the government had a long-term vision to ensure the nation was competitive at a time which would be more challenging and competitive.
“This vision does not ignore the voice of the Y and Z generations with its fresh ideas which are appropriate to the younger people,” he said.
Final-year medical student in Egypt, Maryam Syazana Yuserrie, 22, said the Prime Minister had opened up new horizons for the youth to be directly involved as decision-makers, in the process of making Malaysia a nation which was constantly moving forward.
“TN50 will begin with the process of gathering ideas and inputs from youths who will be the think-tank’ as a platform to discuss and study topics and policies suitable to the times,” she said.
Puteri Umno member Nik Zakirah Farhanis Zakimi, 23, also felt that TN50 was a forward vision which would give significant value to shaping youths into first-class minds who were balanced and excelled in all aspects.
“Vision 2020 mostly involved the government’s efforts, but TN50 is more inclusive as the government would look at the needs and identify the problems of the grassroots and a solution will come from the TN50 through the involvement of the youth.
“It will look at the abilities of the youths in becoming decision-makers for each issue or choice based on rational thinking in the effort to make the nation more excellent,” Nik Zakirah, who is a former president of Umno Club in Nottingham, United Kingdom, said.
Secretary of Umno Foreign Clubs, Zokhri Idris, 33, said TN50 was a continuation of the Vision 2020 agenda in ensuring the country’s growth, especially in economics.
“This does not mean that Vision 2020 which has three years more to go is not successful, but TN50 which is Najib’s idea is the next step of the national agenda,” he said. — Bernama