Shah alam: The Selangor Youth State Assembly (ADN Muda Selangor) 2026 programme, scheduled to take place this June, will retain the participation age limit at 35, despite the national youth age limit having been lowered to 30. Selangor State Assembly Speaker Lau Weng San stated that the decision was made to ensure inclusivity and strengthen leadership empowerment strategies at the state level, while allowing young professionals to contribute more mature and technical perspectives during the simulated debates.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Lau explained that the age limit of 35 is maintained to provide opportunities for young professionals in the early stages of their careers to contribute more substantive policy-making inputs. This decision also aims to ensure that the quality of debates remains at the highest level through the participation of individuals with broader experience across various fields.
Lau announced at a press conference at Bangunan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah that this edition will also introduce several improvements in format, including the use of a draw system to assign constituencies to participants. This change is intended to ensure discussions focus more on strategic state-level policies rather than purely local issues.
The main objective of the programme is to serve as an annual platform to educate and expose youths to the democratic system practised in Malaysia, particularly in Selangor. Lau emphasized that it provides participants with the opportunity to gain experience debating motions as actual State Assembly members inside the Selangor State Assembly building, as well as to understand the legislative drafting process.
The programme, organised by the Speaker's Office and the Selangor State Assembly Office (PDNS) in collaboration with the Selangor State Youth Council (MBS) and the Social Democracy Association (SocDem Malaysia), will take place from June 22 to 23, 2026. Applications to participate in the programme are open online from today until May 25, with priority given to voters from the 56 state constituencies based on the quality of proposed motions and their understanding of the government administrative system.