Thursday 13 December 2012

Govt to set up 100 youth outreach centres

One hundred 1M4U (1Malaysia For Youth) Outreach Centres will be formed in higher learning institutions nationwide in stages next year.

Each of these centres would receive RM5,000 in federal grants to kickstart its activities, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

“These centres will be set up using the existing facilities in the institutions. They will act as catalysts for more volunteer activities among university students,” he said after meeting 10 finalists of the “My Uni Rocks” contest at the Prime Minister's Department complex here.

The centres are part of the plans to promote volunteerism based on the 1Malaysia philosophy.

Another programme that would be launched under the 1M4U initiative is a national convention for volunteers, which will take place next year in conjunction with National Volunteerism Year.

The 1M4U programme was launched on July 15 under a government initiative to coordinate and promote youth volunteer activities with an initial funding of RM30mil.

Najib expressed optimism in the programme, saying that youths had begun to identify themselves with 1M4U.

“The 1M4U (theme) song has become so popular, maybe not as well-known as Gangnam style, but it has taken root among the youth and they have identified this as their song because it conveys that the Government is here for them.

“I am confident that this movement will change the face of Malaysia with the energy and unity from all of you, the youth of Malaysia,” Najib said.

The contest was run on Facebook to attract proposals on volunteer activities from youths.

Ten finalists were given a RM10,000 grant each to carry out their projects.

Agriculture engineering student Lim Voon Huey, 19, plans to reach out to poor students in a rural area of Sarawak with the money.

“My team will carry out a four-day camp to guide youths from Daro in the Mukah district with programmes to boost their physical and mental being,” said Lim, who is a Public Service Department scholar.

Meanwhile, winners of the “My Uni Rocks” contest will be selected from the highest number of public votes they receive on Facebook and their names will be announced on Jan 1.
 

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