ID :
15754
Wed, 08/13/2008 - 15:27
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/15754
The shortlink copeid
NO PROGRAMMES IN PERMATANG PAUH, YOUTHS RESTLESS
By Mohd Hisham Abdul Rafar
BUKIT MERTAJAM (Malaysia), Aug 13 (Bernama) -- While residents in
Permatang Pauh wait to cast their votes in the by-election on Aug 26, there are sighs among the youth, many pondering what their future is going to be like.
The youth there are restless. Since opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) won the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in 1999, life for them has come to a
halt, with no sports programmes or economic activities carried out for their
benefit.
Mohd Faizal Omar, 26, feels that the present Pakatan Rakyat (People's
Alliance)-administered state government should draw up programmes for the youth
in Permatang Pauh, north of Kuala Lumpur.
"Changes have to be made, regardless of who wins. With no activities for
the
youth, they have nothing much to do, but to loiter at shopping complexes and
recreational centres," he said when met by Bernama.
He said that since Pakatan Rakyat formed the Penang state government, there
had yet to be any programmes for this groups.
A Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) graduate, Nurul Hazira Mohd Razali, 27,
who is still unemployed, said programmes should be carried out to create more
employment opportunities for the youth.
She said jobs were scarce now compared with the time when the state was
under the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.
Nurul Hazira, of Kampung Sama Gagah, said since DAP took over the state
government, there was no programme implemented for the youth.
"We don't look at leaders for their political prowess, but what they can do
for youth development," the young woman added.
Meanwhile, Penang executive council member in charge of Youth, Sports and
Women, Family and Community Development Ong Kok Fooi said various programmes had
been outlined for the youth in the state.
"The programmes will be carried out in all areas, not only in Permatang
Pauh," she said when contacted by Bernama.
However, Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) district youth officer Abdul Munir
Abdullah said no programmes had been carried out by the state government since
the DAP took over the state's administration in March.
He said that prior to that, various programmes were carried out by the then
BN government for the youth in Penang.
More young people in the district were now joining youth associations
registered with the Youth and Sports Ministry, he said, adding that discussions
were in progress to organise sport activities for the youth in the Seberang
Perai Tengah district, on Aug 23 and 24.
There are 58,459 registered voters, with 23,502 or 40.21 per cent
comprising
the youth, in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency.
The by-election is being held after PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail,
who beat BN's Datuk Pirdaus Ismail with a majority of 13,398 votes
in the March 8 general election, resigned to make way for her husband, Anwar
Ibrahim, a former deputy prime minister to re-contest the seat. Nomination is on
Saturday.
-- BERNAMA
BUKIT MERTAJAM (Malaysia), Aug 13 (Bernama) -- While residents in
Permatang Pauh wait to cast their votes in the by-election on Aug 26, there are sighs among the youth, many pondering what their future is going to be like.
The youth there are restless. Since opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) won the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in 1999, life for them has come to a
halt, with no sports programmes or economic activities carried out for their
benefit.
Mohd Faizal Omar, 26, feels that the present Pakatan Rakyat (People's
Alliance)-administered state government should draw up programmes for the youth
in Permatang Pauh, north of Kuala Lumpur.
"Changes have to be made, regardless of who wins. With no activities for
the
youth, they have nothing much to do, but to loiter at shopping complexes and
recreational centres," he said when met by Bernama.
He said that since Pakatan Rakyat formed the Penang state government, there
had yet to be any programmes for this groups.
A Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) graduate, Nurul Hazira Mohd Razali, 27,
who is still unemployed, said programmes should be carried out to create more
employment opportunities for the youth.
She said jobs were scarce now compared with the time when the state was
under the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.
Nurul Hazira, of Kampung Sama Gagah, said since DAP took over the state
government, there was no programme implemented for the youth.
"We don't look at leaders for their political prowess, but what they can do
for youth development," the young woman added.
Meanwhile, Penang executive council member in charge of Youth, Sports and
Women, Family and Community Development Ong Kok Fooi said various programmes had
been outlined for the youth in the state.
"The programmes will be carried out in all areas, not only in Permatang
Pauh," she said when contacted by Bernama.
However, Seberang Perai Tengah (SPT) district youth officer Abdul Munir
Abdullah said no programmes had been carried out by the state government since
the DAP took over the state's administration in March.
He said that prior to that, various programmes were carried out by the then
BN government for the youth in Penang.
More young people in the district were now joining youth associations
registered with the Youth and Sports Ministry, he said, adding that discussions
were in progress to organise sport activities for the youth in the Seberang
Perai Tengah district, on Aug 23 and 24.
There are 58,459 registered voters, with 23,502 or 40.21 per cent
comprising
the youth, in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency.
The by-election is being held after PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail,
who beat BN's Datuk Pirdaus Ismail with a majority of 13,398 votes
in the March 8 general election, resigned to make way for her husband, Anwar
Ibrahim, a former deputy prime minister to re-contest the seat. Nomination is on
Saturday.
-- BERNAMA
