Youth in Malaysia - A Review of the Youth Situation and National Policies and Programmes

The youth of Malaysia have a critical role to play in the country’s effort to achieve the status of a fully developed country by the year 2020. Malaysia’s development plan, known as Vision 2020, aims to develop all aspects of the country including national unity, social cohesion, economy, social justice, political stability, system of government, quality of life, social and spiritual values and national pride and confidence. The monograph, which was drafted by the Malaysian Youth Council and finalized by ESCAP and Queen’s University, Canada, has six chapters on youth development; youth education; youth health; youth employment; youth participation; and conclusions and recommendations. The first chapter, on youth development, provides an overview of youth participation in national development, followed by a review of the national youth policy and programmes. The chapters on education, health, and employment each begin with an analysis of policy and programmes; this is followed by a quantitative and qualitative analysis of youth issues in the concerned area. The chapter on youth participation begins with a description of the various youth organizations operating in the country; this is followed by a section in which youth themselves discuss youth issues. The chapter also examines youth participation in politics and the media. Each of the first five chapters ends with a section on the challenges to youth policy in the relevant area. The final chapter of the monograph presents the conclusions and recommendations for further action that have resulted from the research and the national policy dialogues.