KUALA LUMPUR: If you are over the age of 30, you are no longer deemed a “youth” under a new official definition that is targeted to start in 2018.

Currently, youths in the country are those aged 15 to 40. This is considered a far cry from the international standards of the definition.

The United Nations defines it as being between the ages of 15 and 24 while the Commonwealth’s definition is between 15 and 29.

The change in the National Youth Development Policy will mean that leaders of youth organisations surpassing the new stipulated age of 30 will have to step down to make way for younger leaders, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin(pic) said yesterday.

He said the move would see younger leadership candidates being groomed in keeping with international standards.

Announcing this during the fourth sitting of the 2013-2014 National Youth Consultative Council here,Khairy said the 2018 deadline would allow organisations enough time to implement these changes.

“During the next three years, we will implement training programmes to ensure these youth are
ready to take over leadership roles.”

The organisations affected by this change would be groups registered with the Registrar of Youth.

The country’s policy determining the age of youth was last reviewed in 1997.

On another matter, Khairy said the Government must come up with fresh measures to combat “social extremism” among Malaysian youths.

Defining it as “a lifestyle that is not in line with eastern culture, religious beliefs, the country’s laws and the federal constitution”, Khairy said it involved the “ultra liberal” as well as “ultra orthodox” groups.

“We have seen some of our youth attracted and willing to travel to war zones to fight for the Islamic State,
claiming that this is the true religious struggle and the true jihad,” he said at a press conference later.

“This is a threat to us. We have to prepare a policy and a direction which can fulfil the ideals and needs of young people.”-thestar