BERNAME, 08 JANUARI, 2000

KOTA BAHARU, Jan 8 (Bernama) -- Leaders must take seriously the demands, views and grievances voiced by young people over various matters in society and the country at present, Kelantan Umno Chief Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said today.

They must give due consideration to their views so that the young would have renewed confidence in Umno's struggle in the future, he said.

"Meaning...whether we like it or not the young people will be the ones who will shape the future of this country," Razaleigh said in his Hari Raya open house at Palm Manor here.

He pointed out that there were 600,000 young people in the electoral roll last year and their number would continue to rise to reach more than two million before the next general election. He said it would be difficult to attract these young people to join Umno's struggle if the older Malays themselves rejected the party. "Questions will be raised over people's confidence in the future if no renewal takes place," he said.

Razaleigh said many people had spoken to him about renewals and changes in the approaches to the implementation of policies and the need for adequate explanations on every issue even if it was considered slander.

"If the changes are in line with the demands of the people particularly the Malays who had rejected Umno in many places in fact all over the peninsula, probably their confidence in Umno can be restored successfully," he said.

The young people not only wanted physical development as was being done by the government but they also asked for many other things, perhaps nfluenced by many groups, more freedom of speech and movement, he said.

Tengku Razaleigh said for instance, the young felt that banning the PAS paper, Harakah, would not amount to a solution to the issue at hand. "They feel Harakah will no longer sell well if it is tailored to the government's way of thinking," he added.