Youths need to find a calling in life- Najib

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has called on youths to find a calling in life that will add value to the community and development of the nation.

Addressing the Youth Action Forum 2013 here Monda, he said it was important to have a large reservoir of young people that would be able to contribute positive and fresh ideas in developing the nation.

"In this event's mentoring session, which I was very priviliged to be a part of, it was refreshing to see all the youths in high spirits and being passionate about their ideas and projects for a better Malaysia.

"Often we lose our passion and dreams when we get caught up in the rat race, I hope you will never let that happen to you," he said.

Najib said that it was crucial for youths to understand that just because they had started work as a young adults, it did not mean that they should stop pursuing their passions.

In fact, he said, with added working experience, these older youths would bring to the table new ideas and take on a different perspective to solve issues and problems.

"I hope that via more programmes and events like these, more and more youths will be inspired and take to actively participate in nation-building efforts alongside the government," he said.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister also urged the private sector to support youths because they would inherit and eventually manage the Malaysia that had been built.

"Like the rich resource that is the rainforest, the youth of today are an asset. In order to fully tap into this resource, youths need to be given a meaningful stake in society.

"Believe in them because we have provided them with the infrastructure to be competent citizens of the world who will take Malaysia to greater heights," he added.

He also said that he was proud to inform that some organisations including 1MDB and Talentcorp and KPMG had expressed interest in providing funding opportunities to several groups.

The Youth Action Forum is a one day event for university students to showcase the work of their peers in contributing to the country's social economy.

Organised by MyHarapan, in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and the Performance Management and Delivery Unit, the event brings together youths natiowide to tackle issues such as crime prevention, unemployement, public transportation and obesity