BN Youth: Let undergrads go into politics

The Star, August 3 2010,Tuesday

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional Youth wants the Government to allow undergraduates to be political.Its chairman Khairy Jamaluddin said the wing unanimously supported a recent Umno Youth resolution calling on the Government to allow undergraduates to join political parties.

“We agree that undergraduates should be free to venture into politics.

“They are able to do everything now apart from joining politics,” he said after chairing a Barisan Youth meeting yesterday.Khairy said the Government should not be close-minded in thinking that university students would be distracted from their studies if they got involved in politics.

“In other countries, they are not restricted. It’s just a question of time management,” he said.He also announced the formation of a 1Malaysia youth troupe which would travel around the country to help repair 1,000 homes.“We have identified 1,000 homes that need upgrading and repairs in all parliamentary constituencies, including in Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.

He added that the first phase of the programme would focus on the homes of the low-income group and low-cost flats in need of repairs.On another matter, Khairy, who is also Umno Youth chief, questioned why the Opposition was harping on the issue of ministers’ asset declaration when they failed to do the same for leaders in Selangor and Penang.

“If you remember, the Opposition leaders in Selangor and Penang also promised that they would publicly declare their assets.“But until today, they have failed to do so,” he said.He said the Opposition’s promise to declare assets based on competency, accountability and transparency to distinguish it from the Barisan government was an empty promise.