Gerakan Youth is ready to meet Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah to present its views on the issue of allowing university students to participate in politics on this coming Friday.

Gerakan Youth Secretary General Dr Dominic Lau said today that Gerakan Youth welcomed Saifuddin’s open-mindedness and good gesture in wanting to seek views on the subject.

Lau reiterated Gerakan Youth’s stand that our local university students should not be denied the freedom to participate in politics, while their peers `overseas were free to do so.

“We have been holding fast to this stand since the 90’s. We are of the view that the government should just give the students their rightful respects and allow them to make their own informed decision on whether to take part in politics.”

Lau said restricting students in politics was tantamount to taking away a citizen’s basic rights. Article 10 of the Federal Constitution guarantees Malaysian citizens the right to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of association.

He said allowing undergraduate students to be involved in politics would also bring a fresh breath to the nation’s political system as most of them are dynamic and have great ideas to chart the way forward for Malaysia.

“Moreover, there are no plausible reasons to continue denying our local university students from participating in politics, while their peers overseas were free to do so,” Lau explained.

Dominic was responding to Saifuddin’statement yesterday that he planned to meet with Gerakan Youth and Pas to discuss the issue.

Saifuddin said views from the two parties would be taken into account as he planned to argue the merits of students taking part in the local political scene.

He added that it was imminent that more students would opt for politics as their career paths, as many cabinet ministers were politically active during their varsity days.