PKR Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad has told the government to justify the money spent on the controversial Hari Belia (Youth Day) celebrations, saying the money could be better used elsewhere.

 

He also supported Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar’s call for audits of the celebrations to be made public.

 

“In these times of growing austerity, when more and more burdens are being passed on to the rakyat, every sen must be accounted for.

 

“Furthermore, the government must justify how these events - which has apparently cost astronomical sums to organise - will truly benefit and empower the youth in Malaysia,” he said in a statement today.

 

Among others, he said the RM93 million spend over four years could have been better spent on scholarships, loans for entrepreneurs, and affordable housing.

 

He also questioned why the government had spent a large sum of money on Youth Day celebrations while being ‘dismissive’ of other pro-youth initiatives such as ending harassment of student activists and lowering the voting age.

 

“I hope the Minister of Youth and Sports, Khairy Jamaluddin ( left ), will take this matter very seriously,” he said.

 

Yesterday, Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar had demanded the audits to be released, claiming that the annual event had cost RM16 million in 2011 and ballooned to RM30 million in 2014.

 

He said this in response to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Shahidan Kassim’s statement that an audit had been done on the overall management of the events, but its details will not be made public because the Ministry of Youth and Sports will be acting on the auditor’s recommendations.

 

However, Nik Nazmi said the findings of the audit should still be made public in the interest of transparency and accountability.

 

“Ordinary Malaysians - particularly the young - deserve to know if there are problems or shortcomings in how taxpayers’ funds being spent, as well as what is being done to resolve them,” he said.

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