Abd Karim weighs in on abolition of PLKN

August 15, 2018

SIBU: The abolition of the National Service Training Programme (PLKN) has its pros and cons, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah opines.

“Scrapping the programme is a good move if the cost is too high.

“However, PLKN is one of the best programmes to instil patriotism, unity among races, discipline and integration,” he said when asked to comment on Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s statement that the government had decided to abolish the PLKN and the National Civics Bureau (BTN) with immediate effect.

Lower voting age talk gets mixed input

July 8, 2018

SIBU: The proposal to lower the voting age in Malaysia could be one that warrants consideration, in that the youths are getting more conscious about politics and good governance as well as being more academically-qualified nowadays than ever before.

However for Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youths and Sports Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, this subject is ‘debatable’.

On Thursday, federal Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman was reported to have suggested that the eligible voting age should be lowered to 18, from the current 21. 

He was also quoted to have said that this could be done ahead of the 15th general election; however, he stressed that his ministry would first have to have a ‘political exposure programme’ for young people.