Youth Need Support To Make 'Tunas Bangsa' Theme Come True
By Dewi Mohd Sofri

Bandar Seri Begawan - The youth need a strong support system as a defence towards life's challenges and providing this should be the country's priority for making this year's National Day theme tunas bangsa take root and develop.

One of the field participants,` Ak Mohd Hisham PLN Pg Hj Mohammad, 30, from the Ministry of Communications, expects to see a lot more changes in areas relating to the youth.

They need a lot of attention to grow into stronger individuals and in order to achieve, this children need to feel that they matter and understand their value, he said.

The crime and drug abuse statistics highlighted by His Majesty in his titah on the eve of National Day are evidence of the negative influences that can be avoided if handled properly.

"When I come across certain youths who are involved in such activities I always feel compelled to talk to them and often find that most of them come from a broken family," said Hisham.

Also, there is a lack of activities for the young ones to enjoy, he said and suggested that the relevant authorities should think about this.

"I know there are youth groups and have mentioned about them to the troubled teens that I've met but they usually respond by saying that they don't know how to join one," said Hisham.

"Usually they will not go to the groups on their own so we must come to them, find ways to reach out and attract their attention," he said.

Another point he raised was the relation between troubled teenagers and low academic performance. Too much focus has been put on intellectual intelligence and it is time to make change and recognise other aspects also.

"Some of them may not be good in their studies but this does not mean they don't have anything to offer. Some are very good in art for example so why not establish a body that can actually work-to bring out these other hidden talents so they feel useful and have something to be proud of," said Hisham.

Fadzllyani Hj Annuar, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, feels that children need to possess a sense of pride and loyalty towards their country.

The first-time involvement of kindergarten and primary school students in this year's field performance is a good example.

"I myself have never participated in National Day celebrations and at first I thought it was going to be boring but instead felt proud and it invoked a sense of patriotism in me to be part of something huge for the nation working together to achieve a particular result," said Fadzllyani and recommended it to those who have never actually been part of the field performance to give it a try.

This year's theme was also spot on and it shows the youth how important they are to the national development, she said. The young are sensitive to their surroundings and while negative influences are difficult to control, the alternative is to build and equip the young with weapons and a strong support system to protect themselves.

She said that teenagers are always looking for something to do and one of the healthy options is to play sports. The family is important, if children respect their parents and family, they will respect others too and if religion is embedded within the soul at an early age, they will have their faith to guide them through any challenges in life.

She also believes that the country needs stronger primary school system as this is the crucial age for inculcating all the values.

"Encourage creativity in the young, teach them to think for themselves and not be afraid to speak up as well as give them the props and freedom to explore and discover their talents and abilities," said Fadzllyani.

Choose your friends carefully, she advised the youth and "remember that there is no rush in growing up, take your time and enjoy your youth".

Dk Siti Amal Jariah Pg Matjinen, 25, a sports nutritionist at the Sports School, echoed His Majesty's titah on the true spirit of patriotism and believes that protecting and saving the youth-is the responsibility of all.

The young are weak as they are still growing up and at times can falter. Instilling values should begin at the home and continued at school. Authoritative figures such as parents and also on a slightly larger scale the heads of villages should always monitor the children.

"The penghulu should have his own special team of people to keep an eye on the people in his village. For example, if they notice a house that is always full of teenagers gathering (until late at night) do a spot check. As neighbours, we cannot do much," she said.

Children nowadays do not know their limits and too much freedom with nothing to do is a recipe for disaster. Sports, which builds discipline and commitment, is one of the best ways to make children do something productive and also healthy.

"With this year's theme, I hope our youth can finally wake up especially those who do not want to study, to improve themselves in academic, religious, sports and other areas. I hope our country can produce national athletes with the calibre to compete not only in regional competitions but also international," said Amal, adding that the Sports School together with the Co-curriculum department at Ministry of Education is currently devising new projects to improve the sports education.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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