1,042 Applied, 100 Got In: Malaysia’s Biggest Youth Reality Competition Is Back — With RM150,000 At Stake

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When the Ministry of Youth and Sports held open auditions for the second season of Jaguh Rakan Muda in August, 1,042 young Malaysians turned up.

Only 100 made it through.

The second season of the KBS-backed reality competition premiered on RTM’s Saluran OKEY on Saturday (10 October) and airs every Wednesday and Saturday at 9.30 pm, with two new episodes each week.

The series runs nine episodes and concludes with a live grand finale on 15 November.

The prize pool this season is RM150,000 — available to the winning team.

Viewers at home are also eligible for rewards, making each broadcast an interactive event rather than a passive one.

Ten Teams, 10 Pillars, The Clock Decides The Rest

The 100 participants are divided into 10 teams.

Challenges are built around the 10 Rakan Muda Lifestyle Pillars — a framework covering physical fitness, digital skills, environmental awareness, and community values, among others.

Elimination is rapid.

In the first episode, participants were required to complete four tasks within a fixed time limit.

Those who did not clear the clock were out.

The show is hosted by Mat Redho—a prominent Malaysian national extreme sports athlete, obstacle course racer, and television personality—who returns from the first season alongside co-host Kimberly Chuah, an award-winning actress and prominent television host.

National badminton legend Datuk Foo Kok Keong appeared in the opening episode.

Interest Doubled, So Did The Queue

The Ministry of Youth and Sports launched the season at Menara KBS, Putrajaya, with Minister Dr Mohammed Taufiq Johari presiding over the ceremony.

The ministry has positioned the programme as more than a competition.

In its official statement, KBS described Jaguh Rakan Muda as a national initiative to build resilience, leadership, and teamwork among Malaysian youth — not a television product, but a policy instrument with a broadcast format.

The audition numbers appear to support that framing.

Season one drew roughly half the applicants that season two did.

According to the National Youth and Sports Department (JBSN), this year’s figure nearly doubles the 562 applicants from the debut season — a surge in interest that forced organisers to open an additional audition day in the Klang Valley to manage the crowd.

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