Dr Mahathir Mohamad said tonight youths figure prominently in all aspects of the government's new initiatives and programmes for the nation to move forward.

The prime minister said the programmes include those which require them to participate directly or those specifically aimed at empowering them.

"My hope, through all these, is that we will be able to harness all the positive values of the youths, their idealism, enthusiasm, commitment and dedication and so forth.

“But to inculcate these values, they need to be prompted and the best path to this end is to promote quality education among them," he said in his speech at the MyPerintis 4th anniversary and fundraising dinner in Petaling Jaya.

Also present were Education Minister Maszlee Malik and the founding president of MyPerintis, Lawrence Low.

Mahathir, who is also the patron of MyPerintis, said it is the government's hope that the young generation will always be able to rise up to the challenge, dare to explore their fullest potential, make an impact and advocate meaningful and progressive change.

"As such, it is my fervent hope to see more programmes that emphasise education, employability, entrepreneurship, arts and culture as well as volunteerism," he said.

Taking the example of the book, Trailblazing Change: The Rise of a Malaysian Future Shifter, written by Low, which he launched right after his speech, Mahathir expressed the hope that the book will inspire others to be able to continue charting their future positively despite suffering from the knocks and falls that come along their paths.

The 94-year-old prime minister said that at his age, he has seen many successes and failures with some soaring and achieving more and more successes but as many, if not more, floundering and falling.

Yet, he said, it is the ones that are able to pick themselves up, persevere and recalibrate their direction that are the most inspiring.

"Just like the proverbial phoenix, they went on to scale greater heights. Many learned about humility and that the bottom-line, profit and loss are not the only things that matter.

"I am not saying that you must fail first to discover success. What is important is when facing failure you must never give up, and turn it into an opportunity to learn a new lesson in life.

"Alternatively, when you’re successful, never rest on your laurels and believe that it will last forever," he said. - Bernama