KUALA LUMPUR: A special RM100mil fund will set up to spearhead the 1Malaysia For Youth (IM4U) programme, in a bid to instill a greater spirit of volunteerism amongst the nation’s youth, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced Sunday.

He said the fund, named Dana Sukarelawan 1Malaysia (DRe1M), will be managed by a special task force with administration and distribution of allocation done online.

This, he added, was part of the Government’s commitment to ensure that the programmes under IMU4 were provided with “seed money” for youths to carry out volunteer programmes of their interest aimed at the betterment of the nation and society.

He also said he would personally head an IM4U board of trustees to oversee the smooth running of the youth volunteer programmes.

“With the IM4U programme, we will start not a wave of riots and street demonstration, but a wave that will emanate throughout the country, aimed at building a better Malaysia through the spirit of volunteerism amongst youths,” he said in his speech when officiating the IM4U programme launch at the KLCC Esplanade here Sunday.

Referring to the IM4U slogan, Najib said: “I am for you. The Government of today is the Government for the youth and we will do all that we can to ensure that your future will be filled with hope.”

He also announced that 2013 will be declared the Year of Volunteerism to further instill the spirit of volunteerism amongst youth.

More than 50,000 youths are participating in a variety of 16 volunteer programmes in Klang Valley and Selangor.

– THE STAR