Perdana Fellows gives insight into administration of country, duties of ministers - PM Ismail Sabri

PUTRAJAYA: The Perdana Fellows Programme provides an opportunity for its youth participants to understand the intricacies of the country's administration as well as the heavy responsibilities borne by ministers, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

According to him, before joining the programme, some of them might have had various perceptions about politicians and ministers.

"When sitting with ministers, you can know how difficult it is to be a minister. How ministers solve problems, there are those who work at the office until late and even at midnight have not returned home, sometimes they have to work seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

"This exposure is good so that the participants know what ministers are really doing, some might have thought that all this time ministers just sit in big offices, drive luxury cars, but wait until your are with a minister, can know the real situation," he said in his speech. at the 2022 Perdana Fellows and Corporate Fellows Programmes Presentation Ceremony here today,

A total of 82 youths will be participating in the Perdana Fellows and 28 in the Corporate Fellows programmes this year and will be placed in various participating ministries and corporate companies among them Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd and CIMB Bank Bhd.

Ismail Sabri also called on the ministers to provide as much exposure as possible to the Perdana Fellows participants on the management of their ministries, duties in Parliament and political work.

"Expose the participants as much as possible so that they can fully learn what we have been doing so far so that it can be useful experience for them," he said, adding that exposure to the political scenario and duties as a politician are among the things that cannot be learned at universities.

The Prime Minister, meanwhile, advised the fellowship participants not to wait for instructions but to take their own initiative to gain experience while with the ministries.

"If fellows are invited to attend post-Cabinet meetings, they can find out about issues related to the ministry and how ministerial policies are made. This experience is very useful," he said.

Ismail Sabri believed that after the programme, many of the participants will get job offers.

"I pray that this programme will be successful and all the fellows will succeed not only as fellows but also after their stint with the Perdana Fellows Programme," he said.

Since the implementation of the Perdana Fellows Programme in 2013 and the Corporate Fellows Programme in 2019, a total of 753 youths have participated in them.

For those selected this year, they will be placed with their respective mentors starting today until Dec 31, 2022.

-- BERNAMA