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Sarawak’s PBB youth movement mulls opening chapters in schools, says party sec-gen
KUCHING, June 17 —Sarawak’s Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) will study whether the party’s proposed youth movement called “Pergerakan Belia” should set up clubs in secondary schools and tertiary institutions in the state, its secretary-general Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi said today.
Speaking to reporters after the joint opening of the PBB Youth and Women wings today, Nanta questioned if those still studying in schools, colleges and universities should be allowed to be involved too early in politics through the formation of the clubs.
“While we want to capture them because they are now voters following an automatic registration, at the same we should also have to be careful as we don’t want politics to take too much of their attention from what they are doing as students,” he said.
The party is due to table an amendment to its constitution at the triennial delegates convention (TDC) at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) tomorrow to formally form the movement.
If approved, Pergerakan Belia will be open to youngsters aged 18 to 29, many of whom are still studying in institutions of higher learning.
Nanta, who is also the federal Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, however, said PBB is open to those people, especially those interested in politics and those who are not interested initially but who have some ideas to contribute.
“We have certain programmes and strategies on how to get them involved in Pergerakan Belia, but at the same time, we have to be careful as we don’t want to distract them from their studies, if they are still students,” he said.
At the opening of the PBB Youth and Women wings earlier, PBB deputy president Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah urged the two wings to invite youngsters aged 18 to 29 to join Pergerakan Belia as members.
Uggah, who is also the Deputy Premier, said 66 per cent of the newly registered voters under the automatic voter registration exercise in Sarawak is youngsters aged 18 to 29.