Pakatan Rakyat will formalise its national and state level youth line-ups across the country after next month’s Kuala Terengganu by-election.

DAP Youth (Dapsy) plans to take the lead to initiate talks among its counterparts from Pakatan partners PKR, PAS and PSM to collectively outline the movement’s basic principles, and political and socio-economic agendas to achieve common objectives.

dapsy memo to suhakam 111105 loke siew fook Dapsy chief Loke Siew Fook said it was timely for Pakatan to formalise its youth movement at all levels across the country to integrate their leadership and resources for mutual benefits and interests.

“After the by-election, I will meet my counterparts from other coalition partners to formalise the plan and establish youth leaderships at all levels.

“This will pool our resources towards common goals,” he told Malaysiakini when attending a Penang DAP political forum in George Town today.

Ideal channel

A Pakatan youth movement, he said, would provide an ideal channel for all young leaders in Pakatan to raise, deliberate and resolve any contentious issues.

Unlike now where certain political parties in Pakatan, especially PAS, prefer to air their dissenting views and agendas publicly, he said the channel would enhance unity among youth members and help reach collective consensus on all issues.

“A formal Pakatan youth movements at all levels will avoid the media blitz on difference of opinions among coalition partners, which could be detrimental to us.

“For eample, it will avert street protests by youth wings of coalition partners against our own Pakatan state governments,” he said, referring to last week’s Penang PAS protest against the street dance competition organised by the state government.

“This is also in line with the Pakatan’s aim to establish liaison committee in all states to create an internal democratic space and enhance cooperation and understanding among all component parties on policy matters and political agendas,” said Loke.

Earlier at a press conference, Loke, the Rasah MP, expressed disappointment with PAS Youth's open protest claiming that the street dance culture was “unIslamic and immoral.”

“Street dancing is not immoral and should not be classified as vice activities,” he said, suggesting that the PAS Youth leaders should instead look into the much more serious Mat Rempit (illegal bike racers) culture.

He ticked them off for protesting against Muslims joining the competition, stressing that such objections promoted segregation of races against the Pakatan spirit to cultivate multi-racial unity.

“Dancing is rather a healthy activity that should be encouraged among youths,” said Loke pointing out that the Penang PAS Youth view was against its own party's stance on the street dance.