KUALA LUMPUR: Leadership in young Malaysians must be deliberately nurtured rather than left to chance if we want them to become "architects of the nation", says Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Dr Johari Abdul.
Speaking after the screening of a new educational video on Malaysia's history in Parliament on Thursday (July 16), Johari said the initiative aims to instil much-needed patriotism, leadership and civic responsibility among youths.
The five-minute-long video, titled “ARKITEK BANGSA”, was created in collaboration with the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas).
The video briefly showcases Malaysia's history in an action film format, from its origins as a key trading hub in the Strait of Malacca to its declaration of independence on Aug 31, 1957.
"We feel that every young person in Malaysia... must have a sense of pride in Malaysia and must have the desire to lead.
“That is what this video is hoping to convey to youths when they visit Parliament," he told reporters during a press conference at Parliament on Thursday (July 16).
He warned that without cultivating future leaders through video or similar media, Malaysia risked producing generations of content consumers who follow others instead of shaping Malaysia's future.
"If everybody wants to become a follower, then we will have people who are not very qualified to become our leaders.
"Every young man should be encouraged to become the architect of this nation, so we as the older generation must provide them the infrastructure and motivation for such leadership," he said.
He stressed that leadership was developed through education and exposure instead of emerging naturally.
To this, Johari added he would encourage all ministries involved in nation-building, including education, defence, national unity and communications, to screen the video before official programmes nationwide.
He described the production as blending Malaysia's past, present and future while helping younger generations understand significant historical events and the nation's founding principles.
"Many people don't know what happened... why the Rukun Negara came about or why the national pledge was introduced.
“But through this brief video, we can help them understand those events and to appreciate the sacrifices of Malaysia's founding leaders while strengthening their confidence and national identity," he added.
