The clarion call against drugs was loud and clear as Padang Merdeka
was emblazoned with a sea of red volunteers rallying against drugs for
the IM4U campaign, led by Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai.
“With
a healthy body and an active mind, imbued with self-belief and
patriotic spirit, you can conquer anything,” he told youths when
launching the 1 Malaysia for Youth program (IM4U) and 1 Malaysia Squad
today.
The IM4U program, which was launched by Prime Minister
Najib Razak on July 15, is a government led campaign which strives to
nurture the spirit of volunteerism among the nation’s 12.5 million
youths. To date, Sabah has 19, 474 members of 1Malaysia Squad.
At
the heart of the campaign is the “We want peace, no drugs please”
message, a rallying call to youths and the community at large to adopt a
healthy lifestyle and to join the fight against all manner of social
menace in society.
Dr Yee, who is also Minister of Resource
Development and Information Technology, said he was confident that the
IM4U campaign was able to promote volunteerism among youths and channel
their energy towards healthy activities. He said the government wants
youths to play their part in society by being volunteers or counsellors
to help turn around those involved with drug problems and other social
problems.
The youth rally generated great interest and excitement,
as the Sunday crowds in the city joined volunteers in the festive
atmosphere. There was a good range of activities to keep every one
entertained, including live music from local artists and the lively
Zumba dance.
