Corner for youth

Tuesday June 3, 2008 MYT 5:32:35 PM

Kelantan to have Speakers’ Corner for youth



KOTA BARU: In the age of online bloggers and YouTube, Kelantan is now introducing a ''Speakers' Corner'' to allow the youth to express their opinions through a civic platform such as public speaking.

Modelled after a similar concept at institutions of higher learning, the ''Speakers' Corner'' would be held every Friday and Saturday from this month and the venue is the Stadium Sultan Muhammad IV here.

A soft launch was held last month and response among the youth was encouraging, said state Local Government committee chairman Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan after launching the programme at KB Mall here.

This would become a platform to groom intellectual talent among the young besides giving them an area to express their views and opinions.

The programme is the brainchild of Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat who felt that part of the social ills afflicting the young is that this age group does not have a platform to express views.

Takiyuddin said to participate, youths in their 20s and 30s, must register with the Kota Baru Municipal Council (MPKB) besides stating the issues which they would raise at the ''Speakers’ Corner.''

''We hope with such a programme, the youths can fill their spare time with constructive activities while the state capital inhabitants are encouraged to provide moral encouragement by becoming the audience.''

He said community leaders, association and organisation activists should also be present when the youths speak so they can understand the issues and concerns among the younger generation.

The Kelantan Arts Activists Association is also supporting the programme by sending their members to participate