Age Cap For Youths Remains At 30 - KBS

PETALING JAYA, July 17 (Bernama) -- The federal government remains firm in its decision to lower the youth age limit to 30 years, effective Jan 1, 2026, in line with amendments passed by Parliament in 2019, said Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.

However, she said organisations like Sarawak's main youth body, Pertubuhan Belia Kebangsaan Bersatu Sarawak (SABERKAS), are exempted from the ruling because they are registered under the Registrar of Societies (RoS), not the Registrar of Youth Organisations (ROY).

“With regard to the youth age limit, the government has already made a decision -- Parliament passed the law in 2019. It has since been postponed twice, which means we are now in the third grace period.

“Sarawak has its own youth organisation, SABERKAS, which is registered under the RoS and not under ROY. So they don’t need to follow (the federal decision). RoS has no age limit,” she told reporters after officiating at the 2025 Asia Pickleball Summit here today.

Hannah stressed that the amendment to set the youth age limit at 30 is a step in line with global trends, which are increasingly focused on the younger generation.

Sarawak’s Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah had previously stated that Sarawak has the authority to determine the youth age limit at the state level.

He said the state intends to maintain its youth age range of 15 to 40 years.

-- BERNAMA