New YLDA President Vows Stronger Network for Liberal Youths
2008-11-10

New leadership but the same brand of idealism and unequaled activism.

This is how Jan Argy Tolentino describes his recent election and how he intends to manage the organization as the new president of the Young Liberals and Democrats of Asia during the Annual General Assembly and election of officers held in Siem Reap, Cambodia last November 2, 2008.

As the new president of the liberal youth network in Asia, Jan Argy pledged to make YLDA stronger and better by going to the basics. He reiterated the dictum that, "YLDA can only be as strong as the commitment of its member organizations in fulfilling their mission and goals of spreading liberal values amongst Asia's youths."

In pursuing this strategy, the new YLDA president promised to do more capacity-building projects for 2009. These projects include creating a fund for YLDA member organizations to use for financing their own projects and replicating YLDA regional workshops for the benefit of liberal youths at the grassroots level.

The new YLDA president will be supported by former Executive Committee member Chee Wey Hng of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia Youth who is now the Secretary General and new Executive Committee members Buddhika Pathirana of the Institute for Democracy and Leadership - Liberal Youth Guild Sri Lanka, Sann Seakkin of the Sam Rainsy Youth Movement Cambodia, and Prakash Pyakurel of Youth Initiative Nepal.

Like Jan Argy, Chee Wey Hng banked on his credential and the contributions he made to the organization as member of the Executive Committee in winning the post of Secretary General. Both Jan Argy and Chee Wey were unanimously voted to their new post by the General Assembly.

While Nepal and Sri Lanka have been permanent fixtures in the YLDA Executive Committee since YLDA's inception in 2003, the election of Mr. Seakkin signals the renewed interest of the Cambodians in YLDA. Absent for the past two years in the Executive Committee, the YLDA General Assembly welcomed the election of the young and energetic president of the Sam Rainsy Youth Movement in the Executive Committee.

In adhering to the call of the new president to make YLDA better and stronger than ever, the members of the new Executive Committee vowed to give their unparalleled support to the president and his program of actions.

"With a team teeming with talent and youth, 2009 looks very promising indeed for YLDA," responds YLDA President Jan Argy Tolentino.

Garda Bangsa Garda Bangsa was formed in 1998 following the successful political reform spearheaded by students and other campus activists to depose the tyrannical regime of President Suharto. The organization was founded by Abdurram Wahid, a former adviser of President Suharto who resigned following an escalation in government corruption and political management by the administration. He championed "Responsible Openness" within the government system and proposed the establishment of a Reform Committee in order to mitigate poor governance within the administration. His calls were left unheeded and so he eventually withdrew support for the government and joined the efforts advocating for reform in the government. Read more...