KUALA LUMPUR, 20 FEB: Two student movements today welcomed the Lima Gagasan Anak Muda (Five Youth Coalition) or referred to as the Red Document, which was launched by the Keadilan Youth Wing (AMK) last Sunday.
According to the Progressive Student Legacy (LMP) Coordinator, Adam Adli Abdul Jalim, the coalition has been seen to touch on the macro and micro economics of youth.
“For example, the proposed tourist motor cabs, may seem small, but it provides job opportunities to those who have been left out by the system,” he said at the Youth Ideas Discussion Council this afternoon.
Among the ideas expected to attract the attention of the young people in the coalition includes youth Takaful contributions for those aged 40 and below, which involves 6.5 million young people from across the country.
The coalition is also offering funds for the future of youths and a retrenchment fund that gives out a monthly allowance of RM500 for a given period until the recipient has found a job.
AMK has also set a target to launch the ‘tourist motor cabs’ project to create job opportunities for unemployed youths should PR win in the upcoming election.
However, according to the President of the Movement for Academic Freedom (Bebas), Muhammad Safwan Anang, the coalition should include a guarantee to free Institutes of Higher Learning (IPT) from the clutches of political bodies. .
“It is not only students, but I think all students of higher learning want their university or college to make their own decisions.
“Without being influenced by political power, regardless whether it is from BN or PR, including the appointment of high positions such as the (position of) Vice-Chancellor,” said Safwan.
The council which was held casually was attended by the AMK Chief, Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin.
Shamsul Iskandar said that the coalition is part of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) election manifesto.
“I also want to emphasise that this coalition will be absorbed into the PR manifesto which will be launched on 25 February.
“We are concerned that come may consider it a political rhetoric, therefore we want to emphasise that it can and will be implemented,” said Shamsul.
The event was also attended by a number of student representatives from various institutes of higher learning around the Klang Valley.
The coalition will touch on five main issues which are, youth education empowerment, youth quality of life, political equality and democracy, youth strategic housing and localising culture and sports for youths.