Mordi Bimol of DAP, who seeks election to the state assembly seat of Tasik Biru, questioned why unemployment in Sarawak was higher than the national rate.

He said young Sarawakians who could afford to migrate to Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor or to Singapore could be considered the lucky ones.

“The rest of the young end up braving dark, dangerous, treacherous roads to and fro Kuching, Sibu or other towns from their kampungs just to earn a meager income. Or else, they end up working in the local marts, supermarkets, wholesale outlets or restaurants,” he said.

“The issue here is the inequality, the discrimination, the double-standards and the BN’s oppression of the people of Sarawak in terms of equal opportunities in the workforce, salary scheme and productive working conditions,” he said.

He questioned the BN-led state government for not dealing with this critical issue for over three decades.

He said 12 percent of voters in the state elections, a total of 1.14 million, were young people between 21 and 29, and the “kingmakers” of the state elections.

They would be the determining factor whether there would be a change of government or a stronger opposition front at the state assembly.

There was no excuse for Adenan not to implement a minimum wage at the same level as Peninsular Malaysia, he said.

He said the future of Sarawak and of Malaysia lay in the hands of the young, and pledged to press the BN-led state government to increase the minimum wage to RM1,200 and create a long-term plan to provide young Sarawakians a better future.