The DAP Organising Secretary, Mr. Lim Kit Siang, today welcomed a resolution at a youth seminar in Kuala Kubu Bahru calling for a youth representative in the Dewan Negara.
Mr.Lim said the destiny of this country is in the hands of youths, as sixty per cent of our populations of close to 10 million people are under 25 years of age.
He stressed that the youths must be prepared to lead the country, by playing a more responsible role in nation-building. There must also be avenues for the youths to express their needs and aspirations, on the national arena.
Mr. Lim said the youths should not only have a Senator of their own, they should also have youths as Minister and Assistant Minister of youth, as only youths can better understand the problem of their own generation.
Mr. Lim said Inche Senu, who is 50 years old, and Engku Mohsein, who is 40 years, and who are respectively youth Minister and Assistant Minister, should give way to people who are below 35 years of age.
Mr. Lim also pointed out that many Malaysian youth movements are being led by people who are no more youths. This is cramping and stunting the development of responsibility and leadership among Malaysian youths.
For instance, the President of the Malaysian Association of Youth Clubs, Tunku Abdullah, and the Vice President of the Malayan Youth Council, Mr. Siew Loong Hin, are both 43 years old.
The first thing the youths of this country should do is to make sure that their movement is not middle-aged movement, but a genuine youth movement.