KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11 — Efforts to prepare national athletes to hit the jackpot under the Road to Gold mission at the 2024 Paris and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be intensified, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar, who is also finance minister, said sports has proven to be successful in forging unity and building an active and healthy community and, as such, the government will implement more community-level sports programmes.

"An allocation of RM40 million has also been provided to registered community sports associations to organise sports events,” he said when tabling the 12th Malaysia Plan Mid-Term Review (12MP MTR) in the Dewan Rakyat today.

In addition, Anwar said the development of the creative industry will also be boosted as a high-impact strategic industry and several measures will be taken, including strengthening governance, developing centralised big data analytics and developing local creative talent.

He said the government also provided funds totalling RM346 million during the 12MP period, particularly to attract the involvement of youth in creative activities that offer high income.

Anwar said the development of the creative industry as a high-impact strategic activity will complement the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030).

The prime minister said the government will also launch the National Youth Economic Empowerment Plan to increase the marketability of youth who are unemployed and involved in the informal unemployment sector.

He said this group will be equipped with knowledge and skills to increase the potential involvement in technology-related activities to generate higher income.

"In the second quarter of 2023, the unemployment rate among youth aged 15 to 24 is at a worrying level of 10.7 per cent,” he said.

The prime minister also said that the Rakan Muda initiative, which has been given a new lease of life, will be intensified to focus on improving democratic literacy and motor racing activities, besides developing the potential of youth, who are the future heirs of the country. — Bernama