RAKAN Muda, a programme tailored for Malaysias youth, has been re-launched recently, which speaks volumes of the failure of the 1990s version. The government did everything, including design healthy lifestyle activities for youngsters to simply participate in. Over time, these declined to almost nothing meaningful, and buildings intended to support such activities came into disuse. Sum total, a waste of public money because no lasting outcome was achieved other than to amuse the young because momentum never took hold. This time around, it has been revived with an allocation of RM10 million, which is targeted at re-branding. An approach that puts the burden of substance on the beneficiaries themselves may have the potential of creating the momentum needed to allow for programmes that leave legacies and thus, is sustainable.
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