MALAYSIA’S youngest minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman got a taste of what Dewan Rakyat debates are all about during question time in Parliament today.

Several times when he answered questions for the Youth and Sports Ministry, the former champion debater appeared to be slightly frazzled when more seasoned lawmakers from the Barisan Nasional opposition heckled in the background.

Syed Saddiq spoke about the migration of youth from rural areas to cities and the present administration’s commitment to develop the rural areas to bring progress and empowerment to youth.

The Muar MP then proceeded to pledge to improve programmes for youth, improve public transport in rural areas and about giving youngsters a sense of ownership by giving them the opportunity to serve as community leaders and councillors.

For his efforts, Mohd Shahar Abdullah (BN-Paya Besar) said the issue of rural development did not lie under the purview of his ministry.

“This issue should be answered by (MP of) Titiwangsa,” the Umno man from Pahang said, referring to Rina Harun, the rural and regional development minister.

Shahar then asked Syed Saddiq if he could guarantee that mega-projects like the high-speed rail (HSR) and East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) would be continued under the Pakatan Harapan administration, as their cancellation would affect job opportunities for youth, namely those in the rural areas.

Former prime minister Najib Razak called the projects an economic game-changer that would bring about major progress to Pahang and the entire east coast, which would be linked to the Klang Valley.

But the new government, which is shouldering a RM1 trillion national debt, is reviewing the suspended projects over their cost.

In response, Syed Saddiq said the question should be directed at Economic Affairs Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, but offered that the mega-projects were “not the only ones that are important for the development of rural areas”.

“Buses can go deeper into the rural areas (than trains). This is something we have to work on together,” he said, as BN parliamentarians heckled him in the background.

Annuar Musa (BN-Ketereh) then stood up, first congratulating Syed Saddiq on becoming minister before calling him “Budak Boy”, a term used to refer to former Royal Military College (RMC) students.

“I am also a ‘Budak Boy’. The speaker is also one,” he said, addressing Mohd Ariff Md Yusof, another RMC alumni.

“When I became youth and sports minister, I was 33. The Muar MP is 25.

“You may stumble a bit when answering questions in the house, but you will get better soon,” the 62-year-old MP from Kelantan told Syed Saddiq.

Annuar pressed Syed Saddiq to state if he would support the ECRL project that would boost development in rural areas, especially in the less developed east coast.

“The ECRL is still under review to see if the cost can be reduced,” Syed Saddiq said.

He said the government had been in talks with the state governments of Kelantan and Terengganu under PAS on other matters, including oil royalties.

“The two states will not be neglected. We won’t forget youth in (opposition) states.” – July 18, 2018.