KUALA LUMPUR: The election for Youth Parliament members will feature a new format starting March next year, said Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul.
He said the updated format would involve all public and private higher education institutions nationwide to propose their representatives.
"We are making adjustments to the format and engaging with universities to look at how to expand from 100 seats to 222 to ensure each constituency has one youth parliamentarian.
"At present, the election is individual-based, but we want to shift the process to university-led nominations. Parliament’s chief administrator Datuk Ahmad Husaini Abdul Rahman is looking into this,” he said.
He was speaking at a press conference after launching the Third Malaysian Parliament Symposium titled ‘Parliament: The Backbone of Check and Balance’ at the Parliament building here today.
Previously, the Youth Parliament programme was managed by the Youth and Sports Ministry and has now been taken over by the Malaysian Parliament.
Johari said the Youth Parliament is an excellent platform for young people, especially students, to gain early exposure to politics and helps the country nurture young talent to become better representatives in the future.
Asked about the selection process, he said it would be similar to a general election and that the Malaysian Parliament is currently reviewing the specifics.
"We are refining the details to make the Youth Parliament an effective launching pad into actual politics. We envision it as a training school for debating, raising issues and more.
"This needs thorough planning. Political parties must also take responsibility by organising training programmes for their future leaders,” he said.
Regarding the solar energy use in Parliament, Johari said it is expected to save up to RM1mil annually while also helping to reduce environmental pollution.
Previously, Johari announced that the Malaysian Parliament had become one of the first in the world to use solar energy in its operations, starting Oct 1. - Bernama
