SHAH ALAM, Aug 29 — The Youth and Sports Ministry (KBS) is holding the nationwide MADANI Youth Budget Tour across six zones to gather feedback and aspirations from young people ahead of the tabling of Budget 2027 in October.
Youth and Sports Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari said the tour began in the northern zone, covering Kedah, Penang, and Perlis, and would be heading to other states over the next month.
"Yesterday, I was at the Kedah Youth and Sports Complex to launch the tour. We have divided the tour into six zones across Malaysia, starting in the north.
"It will continue across other states over the coming month leading up to the tabling of Budget 2027, so that we can present these aspirations to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim," he said when speaking at the Sahabat MADANI Merdeka Eve culminating event at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Penang branch in Bukit Mertajam today.
The event was officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and attended by Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
Taufiq said engagement sessions under the tour provided a platform for young people to directly voice their views, aspirations, and needs to the government.
He stressed that youth involvement was crucial to ensure their voices were considered in policy planning and government initiatives.
"At town hall sessions, we see that today's youth do not just listen - more importantly, they are brave enough to speak up and express their desires," he said.
Meanwhile, Taufiq said young people should also serve as bridges of unity across race and religion, adding that their responsibility extended beyond continuing the spirit of independence to ensure Malaysians remained unburdened by elements that caused division.
On Sahabat MADANI, he said the initiative played a vital role in connecting the government and the public to ensure grassroots concerns were understood and addressed.
Earlier at the event, Anwar launched the national-level Sahabat MADANI, which has registered 11,060 volunteers nationwide to promote mutual respect and foster community service across all backgrounds.
