The Yellow Ribbon project, an initiative to provide employment opportunities for former prisoners and problematic youths, and the Malaysian Future Leaders School (MFLS) are among the achievements by the Youth and Sports Ministry since Pakatan Harapan (PH) came into power a year ago.

Another achievement is the introduction of the Special Health Scheme for athletes, said Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, speaking to reporters today.

He said the ministry and the Chief Secretary to the Government are working together under a special committee to absorb former prisoners into the public sector.

The ministry, with the cooperation of the Home Ministry, especially the Prisons Department, launched the Yellow Ribbon project last year, aimed at providing a second chance for former prisoners and former inmates of rehabilitation centres, especially youths.

Syed Saddiq said the government would be seen as a “hypocrite” if it only asked the private sector to employ former prisoners and inmates.

"If these groups of people are not assisted (by us), who will (help them),” he said, adding that feedback obtained from a company showed that they are hard working.

Syed Saddiq said the ministry itself had absorbed a few former inmates of the Henry Gurney School into its service.

On MFLS, Syed Saddiq said he was satisfied with the programme, which replaced the National Service Training Programme (PLKN) and the National Civics Bureau (BTN).

Among the reasons is that MFLS helps to reduce costs and the module of the programme is not political, he said.

He added that the objective of the programme is focused on self-development and encouraging youths to develop a vision for the future.

As for the Special Health Scheme, he said it was introduced to safeguard the welfare of athletes.

- Bernama