Kota Kinabalu: Only 108 youths from Penampang have applied for funds under the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (Syabas) to date, said Assistant Youth and Sports Minister Andi Muhammad Suryady Bandy.
The Government, he said, has provided RM10 million under Syabas this year to be given to youths who want to venture into business.
“The scheme is divided into two categories – RM2,000 is given to those who start a business and RM5,000 is given to those who want to develop a business,” he said in response to Kapayan Assemblywoman Jannie Lasimbang’s question.
For Penampang, some 91 youths have applied for RM2,000, while another 17 have applied for the RM5,000 fund, and to date, only the RM2,000 applicants have received their assistance.
He explained that youth development in Sabah is planned based on 12 main thrusts outlined in the Sabah Youth Policy, namely leadership, education, entrepreneurial skills and development, volunteering, confidence, wellbeing of the youth community, personality excellence, integrity, environment, knowledge, spirituality and unity.
“In order to achieve these core goals, the Ministry implements short and long-term programmes based on training and courses that focus on the social and economic development of youth.
“The programmes aimed to produce more young people who are involved in the business sector and create high quality youth leaders with skills in various industries.”
The programs will be advertised through social media or in brochures.
“To implement these programmes, the Ministry collaborates with training providers who have expertise in the subject or areas of the planned programme,” he said.
Currently, he said, the Ministry is
collecting data to enable a comprehensive study to be made so that a strategic plan for the development of Sabah’s youths for a period of five years can be prepared.
