Youth Parliament To Be Strengthened Through New Policies, Systems – Johari

SEREMBAN, July 14 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia Youth Parliament (PBMy) will continue to be strengthened through policy reforms and new systems aimed at nurturing visionary leadership, said Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Dr Johari Abdul.

He said PBMy is a game-changer in the development of youth leadership in the country, as it not only promotes understanding of the parliamentary democratic system but also prepares youths to face the political and social challenges of the 21st century.

According to him, one of the key reforms being discussed is the alignment of the number of PBMy members to 222, mirroring the number of Members of Parliament in the Dewan Rakyat to better reflect the actual structure of Parliament.

“Other proposed reforms include the use of a Proportional Representation system through the Closed Party List method for selecting representatives; and implementing the entire process online — from voter registration, party formation and registration, to voting.

“Also included is a phased strengthening of the leadership training module to prepare PBMy members as future leaders who are dynamic, principled and resilient,” he said when opening the Malaysia Youth Parliament 2025 Guidebook Workshop here today.

Also present were PBMy advisory chairman Tan Sri Borhan Dolah, Malaysian Parliament chief administrator Datuk Ahmad Husaini Abdul Rahman and 50 participants from various implementing agencies nationwide.

In his speech, Johari cited an Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) report which showed that only 0.9 per cent of Dewan Rakyat members are under 30, while 12.6 per cent are under 40 — a situation that must be addressed urgently through policies and programmes such as PBMy.

The workshop brought together various stakeholders, including government agencies, academic institutions, and civil society organisations, to draft a guidebook that is authoritative, practical, legally sound and relevant to current needs.

-- BERNAMA