WAYS TO GET YOUTHS TO VOTE
-Letter by Ravindran Raman Kutty, Kuala Lumpur | letters@nst.com.my

I am not surprised to read that 50 per cent of the young people eligible to register as voters, according to the poll done by Merdeka Centre and National Institute of Electoral Integrity (NIEI), are not interested in doing so ("50 per cent of young not keen on voting" -- NST, March 31).

As a communications practitioner, I feel that the young people's reaction is in line with their thoughts and priorities. The young today are certainly different.

They are not into bread-and-butter issues. Their key concerns are fashion, mobile phones, iPhones, new software  applications and how to spend their free time with their friends.

Most of their bread-and-butter issues are handled by their  parents. The child only goes to school or college and attends tuition, music  and self-defence classes. The child graduates and begins work, where his priorities are not about which party will come to power, or who rules.

He or she is only keen in knowing what's new in town, entertainment, fashion or mobile phone applications, cars or motorcycles.

This is the new trend. It's pretty difficult to get the young to become members of any voluntary organisation.

KD: Voting is a responsibility and an action that every member of society must partake in. 

Universiti Sains Malaysia’s social sciences senior lecturer, Dr Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk said, a majority of Malaysian youth are not into politics. They do not feel the need to vote as they feel there are other important things in life. Maybe if the registration process was made easier it might attract them to vote.

PSC - DEBATE, NOT DEMONSTRATE


Bersih 2.0 is not only "disappointed" that several key issues were not dealt with or not dealt with in sufficient depth but also intends to hold another rally to push for the reforms that it wants. Whatever one may say about the PSC, it has been open and thorough and has listened to everyone who has an opinion on the matter. 


While the PSC recommendations may not be everything Bersih wants, their views have been considered and not completely ignored. Whatever the expertise and eminence of its steering committee, Bersih should not think that it knows best and has all the answers. No one does. Though the parliamentary panel's recommendations may have fallen short of expectations, the answer is not to take on a strident tone or convene a confrontation in the streets. 


The focus should be on working together and finding common ground to improve and strengthen the electoral process.

Read more: Debate, not demonstrate - Editorial - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/editorial/debate-not-demonstrate-1.71112#ixzz1r82PuTfn

KD: “street demonstrations bring more bad than good although the original intention is good.”

The long-term effects of the weekend’s events are hard to judge. They might help to unite a normally fractured opposition in common cause against what they can all see as an assault on democracy and peoples’ basic human rights.

For the analysts like Ibrahim Suffian, a director of the Merdeka Centre, one of Malaysia's premier opinion research outfits, believe that the government's heavy-handed response to the rally may have provoked some among Malaysia's growing middle class, who were previously fence-sitters, to take a more partisan role in opposition politics.

‘DON’T FAN RELIGIOUS ISSUES’

IPOH: Regent of Perak Raja Dr Nazrin Shah yesterday reminded the people not to play up religious issues as they could risk getting themselves “burnt” and the state “destroyed”.

He said, of late, religious issues had been debated openly, and this was worrying as some of the topics belittled the Islamic faith and beliefs.


“This is my reminder. Religious matters should not be stirred up. The religious flames should not be fanned. A spark can cause terrible  consequences,” he said at the opening of the Perak Legislative Assembly’s fifth session.


Read more: ‘Don’t fan religious issues’ - Top News - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/top-news/don-t-fan-religious-issues-1.70777#ixzz1r2Dyfynf
Read more on http://www.nst.com.my/

GTP - What leader says..


Nation in hands of good leadership


LAST year's excellent achievements under the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) should not make everyone complacent, said Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, adding that all had to work harder and perform better.


"Our accomplishment to date shows Malaysia is being well taken care of by the current leadership.


"Today's leadership has delivered what it has promised, despite the gloomy global economic outlook.


"Untested and untried leadership, however, will only spell uncertainty that can lead to trouble," he told the New Straits Times.

Read more: Nation in hands of good leadership - General - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/nation-in-hands-of-good-leadership-1.70644#ixzz1r2ZKEoky

PETROL RON97 NAIK 10 SEN

KUALA LUMPUR 4 April - Harga minyak petrol RON97 naik 10 sen kepada RM2.90 mulai tengah malam tadi sementara harga bagi petrol RON95 dan diesel kekal.

Menurut Presiden Persatuan Penjual Petrol Malaysia (PDAM) Datuk Hashim Othman kenaikan tersebut disebabkan oleh peningkatan harga pasaran dunia bagi bahan api tersebut. - UTUSAN