KUALA LUMPUR, The Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) is exploring suitable incentives to encourage more young people to participate in the 10 lifestyle initiatives under the Rakan Muda Programme. Minister Hannah Yeoh said that so far, four strategic partners of Rakan Muda-Grab, Foodpanda, Shopee, and Lazada-have provided incentives such as discounts and special vouchers for the programme's participants. "We are gathering data from our strategic partners on the most popular rewards and those that appeal most to the youth," she told a press conference during a session of the National Youth Consultative Council (MBPN) Conference here today. The Rakan Muda Programme covers 10 lifestyle categories: Rakan Demokrasi (Democracy), Rakan Litar (Motorsports), Rakan Aktif (Active Lifestyle), Rakan Bumi (Environment), Rakan Digital (Digital), Rakan Ekspresi (Expression), Rakan Muzik (Music), Rakan Mahir (Skills), Rakan Niaga (Entrepreneurship), and Rakan Prihatin (Care and Welfare). At the same time, Hannah clarified that there are no plans to make participation in Rakan Muda mandatory for youths in the country, preferring to keep it as a voluntary activity. 'They (the youth) join because it aligns with their lifestyle. We cannot force anyone to participate," she added. Hannah also noted that the Rakan Muda Programme had recorded 1,161,148 participants through 654 programmes as of June. The Rakan Digital initiative, focusing on digital technology, social media, and digital platforms, has garnered over five million views, she said. Meanwhile, Hannah said that three key proposals were discussed by the delegates at the conference, namely promoting healthy eating and active lifestyles among youth, increasing preschool availability and offering free preschool education, and establishing the Future Generations Welfare Act. 'What I see this time is that the proposals made are very good because they (the delegates) truly understand the challenges faced by young people. We used to focus on students, but now the discussion inc ludes issues like childcare for young parents, which is very relevant for those already in the workforce,' she explained. All proposals, she said,, will be reviewed and discussed again at the next session in November. Also present were Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim, KBS Secretary-General Dr. Nagulendran Kangayatkarasu, and Malaysian Youth Council president Mohd Izzat Afifi Abd Hamid. Source: BERNAMA News Agency