Youth unity programmes handed over to Unity Ministry and Jakim

PETALING JAYA: All agencies and departments under the Youth and Sports Ministry have been asked to coordinate and hand over the youth unity programmes to the National Unity Ministry and the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim), says Hannah Yeoh.

"Youth unity programmes such as the Article 11 programme must be handed over to be implemented by the National Unity Ministry and Jakim," said the Youth and Sports Minister in a government circular dated March 15.

She also said this directive was made to ensure no overlapping of programmes and functions between ministries.

The circular was in response to whether the "Jom Ziarah" programmes, which involved visits by youths to houses of worship, were cancelled.

In the circular, it was stated that all existing programmes or any other programmes in planning must be coordinated and handed over to other ministries with the specialisation and an authority in that field.

"For example, the youth entrepreneurship programmes must be handed over to the Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development Ministry.

"Youth unity programmes such as Article 11 must be handed over to the National Unity Ministry and Jakim," according to the circular.

The directive also said that the lists of programmes under the Youth and Sports Ministry which would be handed over to other ministries would be finalised in a meeting chaired by the Youth and Sports Ministry secretary-general soon.

Earlier on Saturday (March 18), Ahmed Faris Amir - the head of Impact Malaysia - an agency under the Youth and Sports Ministry, said all future visits to houses of worship under the Jom Ziarah programmes were cancelled, following a ministry directive.

A group of youths were supposed to visit a church in Klang, Selangor on Saturday under the programme.

The Article 11 programme, was named after the Article in the Federal Constitution, which guaranteed freedom of religion.

However, it received flak from certain groups which said that it raised concerns over possible propagation of other religions to Muslims, which was not allowed by law.

Earlier this week, Yeoh had clarified in Parliament that no Muslims had been registered as participants in the Jom Ziarah tours.