Majority of Iskandar Malaysia’s population comprises of younger generations ranging from late teens to 40’s which make up approximately 69% of the total population. It is of no wonder and apt of Iskandar Malaysia to empower these youths especially when they are cardinal in propelling Johor to become a “Strong and Sustainable Metropolis of International Standing”.
Ever since the inception of Iskandar Malaysia Youth Committee (IMYC), a myriad of programmes have been organised to enhance the growth of the youths. Aside from the committee itself being primarily comprised of youths, which shows sign of empowerment, another obvious indicator of such empowerment is the building of The Johor International Youth Hub (HAB) back in 2015. Another exemplary initiative is the Iskandar Malaysia Youth Empowerment Fund (IMPOWER) which encourages youth by funding them (up to RM70,000) to implement programmes which will be able to increase the quality of life for the local community. Youths of Iskandar Malaysia were actively involved in all stages and played a vital role in building HAB, from planning to building and sustaining it. This renders HAB true to its tagline, “For Youth and By Youth”.
HAB is the brainchild of all the Iskandar Malaysia youths with the intention of it being a platform to gather, exchange ideas and cultivate healthy recreational activities among the youth generation. HAB provides a premise for trade aside from space for leisure and extreme sport activities. The facility is expected to have amenities such as mini concept store, bouldering, parkour tracks, elevated jogging track and children’s playground among many others. HAB is currently in the progress of refurbishing and it is expected to be completed by end of 2019.
The efforts of Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) and IMYC in fostering the passion for commerce as well as entrepreneurialism among the youths are certainly commendable. A recent initiative which has been recurring is the Y2B 3.0 – 50:50 Matching Grant Programme. This initiative entails a maximum of RM150,000 for Mobile Vehicle Business or RM125,000 for Business Shared Facilities, depending on the total business capital quoted by the recipient. More information can be found on Johor Youth Hub’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/johoryouthhub).
Besides, IMYC has also been very involved in the creative scene to inculcate the importance of art and culture for the growth of youths. Initiative such as Iskandar Malaysia Beyond Boundaries Programme (IMB2P) provides creative practitioners or artists, opportunities and flourish within or outside of Malaysia. A recent interesting event was a 4-day monologue and monodrama theatre performed by the youths.
We are excited to see what IRDA and IMYC will bring forth in 2019 that will increase the values of our youths today to make them leaders of tomorrow.
