Breaking News, World News and Taiwan News.

Updated Monday, September 6, 2010 9:21 pm TWN, By Philip Lim, AFP

Sponsors
▪	Find great real time deals on China Flights. Book flights to China or China domestic flights 24/7.
▪	Buy china wholesale products from reliable chinese wholesalers on DHgate.com!
▪	Save 75% for all hotels in Shanghai, Beijing and whole China. Lowest rates for Flights in China.
▪	Get the best deals for Guangzhou Hotels or choose from more than 10,000 hotels in 499 Chinese cities.

Young people turn to politics in Singapore

“I think overall a more competitive political scene should be beneficial to Singapore,” he added.

The PAP was founded in 1954 by a 31-year-old English-educated lawyer named Lee Kuan Yew, who went on to become the country's first leader, serving from 1959 until 1990. His son Lee Hsien Loong has been prime minister since 2004.

Despite the PAP's record of rapid economic progress which has turned Singapore into one of the world's richest societies, critics of the PAP say the city-state has lagged behind when it comes to democratic freedoms.

Opposition parties are reporting a rise in youth membership, with the Reform Party founded by the late democracy icon J.B. Jeyaretnam claiming 40 percent of its members are now aged 30 years and below.

The Workers' Party Youth Wing membership has increased 50 percent from four years ago, and the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has likewise reported a healthy increase in younger members.

All the parties refused to reveal exact membership numbers, but media reports say the PAP increased its youth membership by more than 1,000 last year alone.

Young opposition activists are championing causes ranging from implementing a minimum wage to protecting minority and disabled persons' rights.

Wong U-Wen, who is partially deaf, joined the youth branch of the Singapore Democratic Party last year as he wanted to bring the plight of handicapped Singaporeans to public attention.

“When I first came to SDP office, they were surprised to see that I am deaf. They are starting to open their eyes and learn more from me because they never had someone who is deaf or a person with disabilities,” the unemployed 38-year-old said.

He cited employment discrimination and a general lack of deaf-friendly services such as captions on television and movie programs as well as certified sign-language interpreters.

Jermyn Wee, 27, the webmaster of the Reform Party website, felt young members have a bigger voice in opposition parties.

“We have regular meetings with our secretary general, Kenneth Jeyaretnam, should he need to bring up a concern,” the information and communication technology executive said.

1|2