Sarawak PKR Youth deputy chief Simon Siah Sy Jen told a press conference here today that Khairy was “losing touch with the youths”.

He said it was “most appalling that Khairy, until today, does not understand what concerns the Sarawakian youths”.

Siah said that a survey by the Asia Foundation in 2012 showed that more than 71 percent of young voters indicated their preference for political parties that were multiracial and which represented the interests of all Malaysians regardless of ethnicity and religion.

He claimed that race-based parties as in the BN coalition were avoided and frowned upon by the youth today.

Yesterday, Khairy had said that if young voters decided to choose the opposition, merely out of anger and dissatisfaction with certain issues, “it will not lead to anything in the context of development in Sarawak”.

Meanwhile, PKR’s Batu Lintang assemblyman See Chee How has welcomed Sarawak Chief Minister Adenan Satem’s announcement of July 22 as a state public holiday to mark the day Sarawak attained self-government.

He said Adenan’s decision was a positive development and proof that Sarawak needed a strong opposition coalition.

He said the opposition performance in 2011, which had made significant progress, was a wake-up call to the ruling parties to buck up and perform.

“Following that, we see positive changes taking place, including more funding for schools and churches from the government, moratorium of dam projects, abolition of quit rent and now July 22 as a public holiday. All that could not have happened without the strong opposition parties in the state,” See said.