Youth Development in Muar Parliamentary Constituency Through ‘The Room’ Projects

Abstract

The All-Party Parliamentary Group Malaysia on the Sustainable Development Goals (APPGM-SDG) is a bipartisan party that works with constituencies to combat the issues to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Muar is one of the constituencies collaborating with APPGM-SDG in developing Muar youth. The objectives of ‘The Room’ project is conducted in Muar to promote youth engagement in creative and arts activities. The problem statement is that youth encounter various obstacles that might restrict their personal development, limit their chances, and impede their capacity to contribute to society. These obstacles can be associated with education, jobs, mental health, and social concerns, among others. During issue mapping, the youth’s need for a creative space was raised. The methodology used is grounded research through in-depth interviews and focused group discussions (FGD). Pudipang Industries, the solution provider, introduced 11 activities for this ‘The Room’ project related to Sustainable Development Goals to achieve the SDG 17 goals. They have been awarded a RM40,000 grant to address youth engagement issues within the next four months. The finding shows that the projects successfully attracted 175 youth participants in various 11 activities, and nine SDGs involved with the project, such as SDG 1, SDG 3, SDG 5, SDG 8, SDG 10, SDG 11, SDG 12, SDG 14 and SDG 16.