KOTA KINABALU: Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Tawfiq Datuk Haji Abu Bakar Titingan has urged youths in the state to be a part of the Boy Scouts (Pengakap) of Sabah.
He said that this was good as the Scouts would teach discipline, integrity and be a role model to other youths in the state.
“The fate of you kids will ensure that there will be good leaders in the state,” he told 300 Scouts in attendance at the 57th Scouts Jambory On Air.
He added that they (the Scouts) would be exposed to international communication devices, thus being ambassadors of Sabah to the rest of the world during the event at the Scout House here yesterday.
The members have also been key in the development and growth of Sabah, making the Scouts an invaluable asset to the people of Sabah.
It was the scouts’ vow of loyalty that instilled discipline in the youths the moment they joined and became members of Scouts.
According to Datuk Dr Awang Zaini Haji Suntim, the Deputy Chief Commisioner of Scouts in Malaysia, it was the training that the Scouts went through that made them robust, whether in the jungle or urban setting.
“With the Scouts, we aim to create a society that cares, that will help without expecting to be paid for it,” he said.
There were also Scout Bodies in universities and colleges, he added saying there were more than 68,000 Scouts in Sabah.
According to him, the foundation of leadership was placed on Scouts as young as seven years old to ensure that they (the Scouts) did not take part in anti-social acts such as drugs and crime.
Meanwhile, Mirza Affendy said the event which celebrated 101 years of Scouts in Malaysia, had the Scouts communicate with four other stations in the districts of Tawau, Sandakan, Tenom, and Telupid.