Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi Yusoff said senior leaders should address this issue during the coalition’s inaugural national convention in Shah Alam tomorrow.

“Pakatan leaders should present themselves as pro-active, progressive and prepared to give young talents a chance to join in the political decision-making process, he said.

“Tomorrow’s convention is the ideal platform for the coalition to portray this.”

For instance, Yusmadi said Pakatan could show how it is be able to provide opportunities for youth to become top politicians, activists, businessmen or whichever field they desire to excel in and contribute to nation-building .

He said that young voters were the instruments of change in last year’s general election and it was only natural to embrace more young talent into Pakatan’s fold.

“Without young talents, Pakatan cannot possibly put up a youthful front. It is imperative to attract dynamic, talented and progressive minded leaders.

“Pakatan needs to show publicly that it is proactive in moving away from current conventional youth policy of Barisan Nasional, designed by Umno,” said Yusmadi.

He said the BN/Umno youth policy is only used to fish for votes and make them yes-men for senior leaders.

“Umno and BN patronage politics is more about the money men making decisions on the behalf of everybody.

“Pakatan shall not emulate it,” insisted Yusmadi, the PKR national youth exco in charge of international affairs.

Old school thinking must be discarded

Pakatan must show that the coalition is prepared to depart from old school thinking and bring in fresh young talent to effect changes in the political landscape.

He said today’s youth were no longer keen to be bystanders and just be part of patronage politics espoused by Umno and BN.

He said they wanted to be part of the political decision-making process to decide the present and future direction of the country.

“Pakatan should also address decisively the grouses among minorities such as Indians, Sabah and Sarawak ethnic groups against the coalition,” said Yusmadi.

“They should unveil the coalition’s strategy to forge close ties with minority groups such as Hindraf and civil rights movements in Sabah and Sarawak, and labour organisations.”

“Addressing issues pertaining minority and workers’ interests and rights is vital if Pakatan wants to be a hybrid organisation,” said Yusmadi, the former Penang youth chief.

Klik gambar untuk saiz yang lebih besar

Kesas 11 acquitted of illegal assembly

By FLORENCE A. SAMY

The 11 were also acquitted of another charge of refusing to disperse despite several notices during the incident which took place between 2pm and 7pm on Nov 5, 2000 between Km21 and Km 28.2 of the Kesas highway in the Klang district.

They had allegedly gathered illegally at Kesas Highway as they made their way to a ceramah in Jalan Kebun organised by the then Barisan Alternatif which was to be attended by Keadilan president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The 11 were part of the 125 who were initially detained for illegal assembly along the Kesas Highway, Bukit Kemuning and Jalan Kebun.

Police had also seized several weapons during the incident including parangs and wooden bats.

On Tuesday, Ampang Sessions Court judge Noradidah Ahmad acquitted the 11 of both charges although only 10 were present in court including a woman and a personal assistant to a Selangor exco member.

She said the defence had managed to raise reasonable doubt over the case.

Defence lawyer Yusmadi Yusoff said Mohamad Salim Laidin, a diabetic patient, could not be present in court as he was recovering from a feet surgery.

Mohamad Salim had had three toes removed.

There was initially a dilemma on whether the verdict should be read out or postponed to another day, given Mohamad Salim’s absence.

After a brief stand-down, Noradidah then gave her verdict that all 10 and Mohd Salim be acquitted of both charges.

The 10 rejoiced as they left the courtroom. Shouts of Hidup Rakyat were heared along the corridors. One of the 10, Mat Dan Hassan, welcomed the verdict with open arms, stating that it was long overdue.

“It was not an illegal gathering. We were trapped on the highway and had no way out,” he claimed.

S. Pospan Linggam said it had been a “very painful wait” for almost a decade.

“We have been going back and forth to court every year for the last nine years. I’m glad justice has finally been served.”

Abd Razak Ismail, who is now the special assistant to Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar, thanked the court for upholding the principles of freedom and for acknowledging Suhakam’s inquiry.

In 2001, Suhakam released a report blaming the police for human rights violations during crowd dispersal and treatment of those arrested for taking part in the illegal assembly.

The report was criticised by certain quarters including then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad who said it was one-sided and influenced by Western thinking.

The inquiry was set up to look into allegations of police brutality during the incident.

Hari ini saya dihujani dengan email dan sms daripada pelbagai pihak termasuk pimpinan parti saya dan teman-teman penyokong Pakatan yang membaca laporan akhbar di dalam Berita Harian halaman 6 bertarikh 29 September 2009 bertajuk “Pemuda PKR mahu jawatan KM digilir ikut formula baru“.

Ingin saya jelaskan di sini bahawa saya tidak pernah sekali-kali membangkitkan isu jawatan KM DIGILIR ikut formula baru. Saya memberi pandangan berlatar belakangkang sambutan hari raya yang antara lain menunjukkan bahawa terdapat penerimaan masyarakat terhadap citra kepimpinan politik baru yang dibawa oleh Pakatan Rakyat selepas 8 Mac 2009. Kunjungan rakyat berbilang kaum ke rumah-rumah terbuka anjuran pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat tidak kira bangsa seperti yang dianjurkan oleh pimpinan PKR, DAP dan PAS menggambarkan bahawa formula kepimpinan yang digunakan oleh BN/UMNO yang mengangkat agenda perkauman telah ditolak. Saya cadangkan kenyataan saya dibaca tanpa TAJUK dan Tafsiran yang diberikan oleh akhbar, tetapi fokus kepada petikan (quotation) yang digunakan yang lebih menggambarkan kenyataan saya yang sebenar. Saya yakin pembaca sekalian mempunyai kematangan untuk membezakan apa yang benar dan apa yang salah.

Pemuda PKR mahu jawatan KM digilir ikut formula baru (Tafsiran media)

Beri peluang kepada semua kaum pegang jawatan Ketua Menteri (Tafsiran media)

KUALA LUMPUR: Pemuda Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Pulau Pinang mahu jawatan Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang digilirkan berdasarkan formula baru yang memberi peluang kepada semua kaum menjadi pemimpin selaras prinsip perjuangan gagasan Pakatan Rakyat (PR), keadilan untuk semua. (Tafsiran media)

Ketua Pemuda PKR yang juga Ahli Parlimen Balik Pulau, Mohd Yusmadi Mohd Yusuff, berkata formula politik baru itu perlu bagi menggantikan formula Barisan Nasional (BN) dan Perikatan yang memberi jawatan tertinggi itu hanya kepada kaum Cina dan jawatan timbalan ketua menteri kepada kaum Melayu. (Tafsiran media)

Beliau berkata, sebagai rakan pakatan yang memperjuangkan nasib rakyat tanpa mengira kaum dan menolak politik perkauman sempit, sudah sampai masanya formula itu ditukar bagi memberi peluang kepada semua kaum menjadi ketua menteri. (Tafsiran media yang mana saya tidak langsung merujuk kepada formula bergilir) 

“Pulau Pinang sejak dulu lagi terperangkap dengan formula BN dan Perikatan yang menjadi asas politik perkauman dengan memberi jawatan Ketua Menteri kepada kaum Cina semata-mata atas alasan kaum majoriti di negeri ini.

“Politik baru Pakatan Rakyat tidak menjadikan kaum sebagai alasan utama, orang Melayu atau India pun boleh jadi Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang.

“Peluang itu terbuka kepada semua dan saya yakin masyarakat di sini juga sudah dapat membezakan prinsip keadilan dan kemanusiaan berbanding fahaman agenda sempit dan perkauman yang diamalkan parti kerajaan,” katanya ketika dihubungi di sini, semalam. (kenyataan saya yang merujuk kepada perbezaan normatif dan prinsip kepimpinan politik Pakatan Rakyat yang mengangkat prinsip keadilan untuk semua dan menolak politik perkauman berbanding BN)

Mohd Yusmadi percaya kepemimpinan tertinggi pakatan termasuk DAP, PKR dan Pas dapat menerima pandangan itu dan melaksanakannya. (Tafsiran media)

“Tidak ada masalah (pelaksanaan), sebab mereka (PR) turut mengangkat agenda keadilan dan menolak prinsip perkauman seperti Pas yang melaungkan slogan Pas untuk semua. (suntingan petikan yang tidak lengkap- kenyataan saya ialah Pakatan Rakyat yang mengangkat prinsip keadilan untuk semua dan menolak politik perkauman tidak akan terperangkap dengan model kepimpinan ala BN/UMNO)

“PKR sendiri adalah parti yang menolak agenda perkauman dengan mengangkat agenda keadilan dan ini dibuktikan melalui kepemimpinan kami yang diterima rakyat tanpa mengira kaum,“ katanya. (kenyataan saya yang menngangkat dasar PKR keadilan untuk semua dan perkataan ‘Kami’ yang digunakan sebenarnya ialah ‘Anwar Ibrahim’ yang saya katakan sebagai conton pemimpin yang diterima oleh semua rakyat bukan di atas sebab perkauman tetapi keadilan untuk semua. Contoh tersebut tidak digunakan)

Beliau yang mewakili golongan muda di negeri itu juga yakin formula baru itu dapat dilaksanakan menerusi pendekatan tolak ansur antara pemimpin dalam pakatan. (Tafsiran media - kenyataan sebenar saya ialah prinsip politik Pakatan Rakyat mendapat tempat anak muda yang menolak politik perkauman dan bukan “tolak ansur” seperti yang dilaporkan. Saya tidak pernah menggunakan perkataan tolak ansur)

“Saya yakin inilah citra politik yang dimahukan rakyat Malaysia, iaitu kepemimpinan politik tidak kira kaum Melayu, Cina dan India,” katanya. (kenyataan saya yang menunjukkan perkembangan sihat politik Pakatan Rakyat yang menolak politik perkauman)

Ditanya pandangannya terhadap Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang sedia ada, Lim Guan Eng, Yusmadi berkata, Lim sekarang berusaha keras memenangi hati rakyat dengan memberi keutamaan kepada pelbagai aspek dan usahanya itu diterima baik semua pihak.

Akhir sekali saya mengucapkan terima kasih di atas keperihatinan teman-teman dan pembaca. Saya yakin apa yang dikatakan “Liberation is a tough a job”.

Yusmadi Yusoff

Ahli Parlimen Malaysia (Balik Pulau)

Ketua AMK Pulau Pinang