I would like to express support for the Minister of Youth and Sports Khairy Jamaluddin’s call for the age limit for officeholders in youth-oriented NGOs to be lowered.
According to reports, the Minister has proposed that the current limit of 40 years be lowered to 30.
This of course is a good thing. As I have stressed before, young people are best engaged when they are led and served by people closer to their age.
KEADILAN’s AMK, for the record, had lowered the age limits for its membership and officeholders effective for the recent party elections this year to 35.
Of course, implementation will be the crucial challenge. The proposed cut might be too drastic for some organisations.
Therefore, some leeway should be given. For instance, the limits could be staggered to 35 initially.
At the same time, political parties should not be exempt from the limitations either.
Will Khairy also propose similar age caps for his UMNO Youth Wing?
We wait, but hardly with baited breath for this. Politicians should practice what they preach.
