Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman
KUCHING: The federal government respects the stand of the Sarawak government in making an in-depth study of the decision to lower the youth age cap from 40 years to 30, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said here yesterday.
He said the change only involved associations registered under the Registrar of Youth (ROY).
“What the state government has raised is something different, which does not come under the jurisdiction of the federal government to determine.
“So, only those registered under ROY will go ahead with the change.
“I feel it is the way for us (the state and federal governments) to work closely together where the federal government can assist in targeting aid to youths under 30, the transition of which will begin in December 2021,” he told reporters after paying a courtesy call on Sarawak Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here.
On July 3, Syed Saddiq tabled the Youth Societies and Youth Development (Amendment) Bill 2019 in the Dewan Rakyat, seeking to lower the youth age cap from 40 years to 30.
Sarawak Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the age factor was not a major issue but what was more important would be the programmes for youth development.
“In Sarawak, youth organisations are registered under the Registrar of Societies (ROS) and, as such, it is the state government that determines the age cap, which is 40.
“We have entrepreneurship programmes for the B40 (bottom 40 per cent households) youths. If the age cap is lowered, it will undermine what has been implemented so far. So, we are looking in-depth at the implications and so on,” he said.
Recent media reports said Sarawak would retain the youth age cap at 40 until the State Legislative Assembly agreed to make a change. — Bernama