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speaking up for nature in singapore
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on youths of singapore to speak up PM's call on youths | list of all articles speak up for nature: why bother? | what others have spoken | feedback channels Channel NewsAsia 3 Sep 04 Response to youth consultation exercise "extremely encouraging" By Pearl Forss Response to the Government's public consultation exercise to gather views from youths to shape future policies has been "extremely encouraging". So said 39-year-old MP Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman who is leading a youth focus group discussion. Advertisement He is also the Parliamentary Secretary for the Community Development, Youth and Sports Ministry (MCYS) which is conducting the six-week long consultation process. The process, which has been underway for two weeks now, follows the recent change in the Government which has been described as a generational one, with greater emphasis placed on youths of the post-1965 group. Several focus group discussion sessions have been conducted with youths from all walks of life, with more to come. Dr Mohamad Maliki said: "Basically, just tell us what is it that concerns you, the kind of things you want to see changed. When we come to the end of the process, we'll probably gather, look at what are the things that they have given us, look at the existing systems, relook at the policies, refine some of the policies to see how they fit their aspirations." Contrary to popular belief, the youths in Singapore are not politically apathetic. The MCYS says the main concerns voiced so far include not only education and identity issues, but also how the youths themselves can contribute to the community and help construct the future Singapore. If you have any views on the matter, you can SMS, telephone or email them to the ministry. The telephone number is 1800-353-5555, the SMS number is 6353-5555 and the email address: creating_our_future@mcds.gov.sg. Most youths Channel NewsAsia spoke to also applauded the Government's move. "I'm glad the Government is taking the views of the youth seriously," said a teenager. "It's a really good thing that the youths are getting a chance to voice their opinions," said another. "I'm glad we got a chance to voice our concerns, it's good for the politics in Singapore," said a third. However, some were sceptical. "I'm skeptical they will actually listen to us, even though they are asking us. I feel they might just be asking to make us feel included, but not actually really listening," said one. "I'm encouraged the Government has decided to actually listen to the youth, but the question is whether many youths will actually speak up," said another. |
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