Oleh/By : DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD
Tempat/Venue : BANDAR TUN RAZAK, KUALA LUMPUR
Tarikh/Date : 16/04/88
Tajuk/Title : PERASMIAN PUSAT BELIA ANTARABANGSA
Yang Berhormat Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak,
Menteri Belia dan Sukan;
Encik Kampo Harada,
Tetamu Kehormat dari Jepun;
Dif-Dif Kehormat;
Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan.
Saya mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Lembaga Amanah
Pusat Belia Antarabangsa kerana menjemput saya untuk
merasmikan pembukaan bangunan yang indah dan serba lengkap
ini. Saya juga mengambil kesempatan di sini untuk
mengucapkan Selamat Datang ke Malaysia kepada semua tetamu
kita dari luar negeri.
2. Pusat Belia ini telah berjaya dibina dengan usaha bukan
sahaja oleh Kerajaan Malaysia, tetapi juga dengan bantuan
pihak-pihak tertentu, terutama sumbangan kewangan daripada
seorang dermawan dari negara Jepun, Encik Kampo Harada.
Beliau telah menderma sebanyak satu billion Yen bagi
pembinaan Pusat ini. Saya mengucapkan setinggi-tinggi
penghargaan atas kemurahan hati beliau.
3. Perhubungan antara sesebuah negara dengan negara-negara
lain semakin hari semakin menjadi mudah dengan adanya sistem
pengangkutan dan perhubungan yang bertambah baik. Kemudahan
perhubungan ini telah merapatkan lagi hubungan antara
berbagai bangsa, termasuklah hubungan antara para belia.
4. Oleh yang demikian, para belia Malaysia haruslah terus
aktif dalam pergerakan belia antarabangsa. Penglibatan
dalam pergerakan belia antarabangsa akan mendedahkan belia
kita kepada berbagai pengalaman serta aspek hubungan
antarabangsa, di samping meningkatkan sumbangan yang dapat
mereka berikan kepada kesejahteraan antarabangsa. Kerajaan
berharap Pusat Belia Antarabangsa ini akan meningkatkan lagi
peluang belia-belia Malaysia untuk bercampur-gaul,
bertukar-tukar pendapat serta menambah pengalaman dengan
belia negara-negara asing, terutama dari rantau ASEAN dan
Asia.
5. Upacara pagi ini turut disertai oleh para jemputan dari
luar negeri. Dengan itu izinkan saya berucap juga dalam
Bahasa Inggeris.
6. I would like firstly to take this opportunity to bid
Welcome to Malaysia or Selamat Datang to all foreign
dignitaries and youths attending this opening ceremony.
This is really an auspicious occasion for our youth, for
from today they have for their use a complex which is as
beautiful as it is well equipped.
7. The establishment of this International Youth Centre is
an added page in the history of youth development, not only
for Malaysia but also for this region. This Centre will not
only bring pride to the youth of this country but also to
the government which is very committed to the development of
youth. I trust that it is also a pride to those countries
which share the same objectives.
8. While we feel proud that Malaysia has been chosen for
the siting of the International Youth Centre, we also
realise the responsibilities that go with it. We believe
that with the expertise and experience that we have acquired
in this field, and also with the support given by friendly
countries and international organisations, we will be able
to provide the leadership and guidance in youth development
programmes to all those using the facilities made available
at this Centre.
9. I would like to urge the youths of this country and the
youths from other developing countries to intensify their
efforts in organising various youth activities for the
development and progress of their nations and peoples, in
line with the objectives of their respective countries.
While such activities will involve young people, they must
always be cautious of the negative elements in their
societies, lest they fall prey to these elements who are on
the lookout for every opportunity to influence the younger
generation to serve their selfish interest. Youths should
always be able to identify those who wish to make use of
them for their own selfish motives. They must be willing to
work hard and inculcate in themselves noble ideals and
values in life so that they would be real assets to their
society and nation.
10. Youth by nature are compassionate and feel strongly
about things. In this they serve as the conscience of
society. But they must remember that the adults of today
are the youths of yesterday, youths who had the same strong
compassion and feeling. The chances are that the youths of
today will lose their strong feelings as they age, for the
realities of life will affect the ideals that they have now.
And so, as they strive to better society, they must not
resort to ways that are destructive of the society they wish
to better.
11. The Malaysian Government is grateful for the invaluable
contribution made by the well known calligrapher from Japan,
Mr. Kampo Harada, who has generously donated one billion Yen
towards the cost of this beautiful building. On behalf of
the Malaysian Government, I thank Mr. Harada and the Japan
Calligraphy Education Foundation for this generous
contribution. We hope that more people like Mr. Harada will
come forward to contribute in whatever way they can to help
developing nations organise youth development activities
which contribute towards nation building, international
understanding and world peace.
12. I hope this International Youth Centre will become a
focal point for cooperation among youths in ASEAN, the
Asia/Pacific and the Commonwealth countries. Cooperation
and mutual understanding among the youths of these regions
can be achieved by holding such activities as meetings,
forums, courses, seminars and youth exchange programmes.
These activities will help to strengthen unity and
international cooperation which will lead to mutual respect
and understanding of the different cultures, systems, values
and beliefs of different peoples.
13. Kita sekarang ini hidup dalam dunia yang serba
mencabar. Banyak negara yang mengalami gejala kebuluran,
buta huruf dan pengangguran yang teruk.
14. Keadaan bertambah buruk lagi kerana negara-negara yang
kuat kerap pula campur tangan dalam urusan politik dan
ekonomi negara-negara yang kecil dan lemah. Mereka campur
tangan tanpa mengambil kira kepentingan negara-negara kecil
dan lemah dan juga tidak menghiraukan pentingnya keamanan
dan keharmonian hidup negara-negara tersebut. Justeru itu,
negara-negara yang menyedari hakikat ini harus terus
berusaha menyebarkan pemikiran saling faham-memahami dan
kerjasama antara berbagai bangsa dan negara di dunia ini.
Berbagai langkah mungkin boleh kita pertimbangkan, dan salah
satu daripadanya ialah meningkatkan kesedaran dan sikap
toleransi di kalangan belia kita.
15. Selaras dengan semangat ini Malaysia akan terus
menjalinkan hubungan rapat dengan negara-negara lain yang
sama-sama mementingkan hubungan sedemikian. Persahabatan
ini adalah berlandaskan kepada prinsip saling
hormat-menghormati dan saling tidak campur tangan dalam hal
negara masing-masing.
16. Sekali lagi saya berharap Pusat Belia Antarabangsa ini
akan dapat meningkatkan kebolehan, daya usaha dan pengalaman
para belia negara kita dan negara-negara sahabat. Kepada
mereka yang terlibat dengan perancangan dan pelaksanaan
projek ini, serta para dermawan, marilah kita bersama-sama
berbangga dengan terbinanya Pusat ini. Kebanggaan kita akan
bertambah sekiranya kemudahan-kemudahan yang terdapat di
Pusat ini dapat digunakan sepenuhnya dan objektif-objektif
pembinaannya tercapai.
17. Dengan ini, saya dengan sukacitanya membuka Pusat Belia
Antarabangsa ini dengan rasminya.
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