Youth NGOs' funding priority on activities, not management: Syed Saddiq

PUTRAJAYA: The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) has determined that the funding priorities for youth non-governmental organisations (NGOs) will now be for programmes and activities rather than management, said its minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.
"This does not mean that the allocation for youth NGOs is terminated. But the funds for the programmes and activities for the target group would be higher priority instead of being used by the NGOs administration such as to pay the salaries of their leaders," he said.
He said such an approach would allow the KBS funds to benefit more NGOs instead of just certain NGOs.
"There are many unrecognised or non-mainstream NGOs that do not receive any funding. I do not want to see only certain NGOs getting all kinds of aid but the rest are not. That is not fair," he told reporters after a KBS town hall session at the ministry here today.
Syed Saddiq said KBS had set up a special committee to discuss with Khazanah Nasional Bhd a new youth programme to replace the abolished National Service Training Programme (PLKN) and the National Civics Bureau (BTN).
"The new program would be driven by Khazanah and would focus on making Malaysian youth more future proof. There would be a retreat on the matter," he said.
Last month, the Cabinet abolished the PLKN and BTN with immediate effect to be replaced with a new programme that could mould future youths with vision and identity. — Bernama