Striving for a politically literate generation

Youth to the fore: The widespread movement to lower the voting age to 18 was successful but that is only the first step. Now we have to empower young voters with political education. — Filepics/THE STAR

IN the run-up to the recent state elections, y.politics, a youth-led organisation I am part that aims to increase political literacy, hosted Fahmi Reza to present his Kelas Demokrasi at a coffee shop in Bangi, Selangor.

One would expect the renowned satirist, infamous for his numerous run-ins with the police, to deliver a revolution- charged session. Instead, decked in his signature sunglasses and beret, he went through Malaysia’s political system neutrally, explaining the different levels of government and what state elections determine.

Sadly, activists and NGOs taking on the task of raising political awareness in Malaysia is hardly a rare sight.

Fahmi’s Kelas Demokrasi covering Malaysia’s political system, the different levels of government and what state elections determine, among others. — JONATHAN LEE

According to a study conducted in 2022 by the Institute for Youth Research Malaysia (IYRES), the score for the existence of political education fell from 69.12 in 2021 to 67.21, while discussions on politics, nationhood and democracy fell from 47.63 to 47.34 (see score table below).

While discussions on the issue of political literacy often centre around the nation’s youth, I believe that it is a cross-generational issue that points to a deep-rooted problem. A simple test would be to ask your next-door aunty or uncle if they can differentiate the roles of an Adun and an MP (ie, Ahli Dewan Undangan Negri, or member of the state assembly, and member of Parliament).

With that said, it is high time the government take proactive steps to introduce political education as a required subject within our educational system.

Where does our education system stand on this? At the primary and secondary education levels under the national syllabi, political education is loosely situated under moral and civic studies. In higher education institutions, Mata Pelajaran Umum or General Studies is a mandatory subject intended to create awareness of national identity and volunteerism.

What is lacking, however, is real political education. I am talking about the Malaysia’s Federal Constitution, separation of powers, governmental system and, more importantly, elections.

The national curriculum must be reformed to include such topics, especially for secondary school students. If we lament that 18- to 21-year-olds are not prepared to vote, then effort must be made to educate them.

It is neither impossible nor taboo for political education to be introduced into the education system. Take for example Sweden, which saw an 82% participation by 18-29-year-olds in their parliamentary elections.(The 18-30-year-olds’ participation in Malaysia’s 15th General Election last year stood at 75%.)

Youth political participation in the Scandinavian country consists of two key pillars: recreation and leisure clubs, and voluntary, state-funded socialisation. This relaxed, practical method has encouraged its youth population to participate in democratic processes.

In Germany, studies are being carried out to introduce political education at kindergarten level. Such education was introduced in the country post-World War II with the aim of ending fascism, and has been adapted over time to cover topics such as empowerment, social justice and macroeconomic issues in the syllabus.

Perhaps Malaysia can take a leaf out of these countries’ books. However, we must remember that rote learning cannot be applied to teaching the intricacies of democracy. Instead, focus should be placed on simulation and the practical aspects of politics, like elections.

Students must be provided with the necessary knowledge so they can apply it to their lives, where rational thinking surpasses blindly following.

It will be challenging, no doubt. Teachers too need to be provided with proper pedagogical training to set aside personal biases when handling sensitive discussions. It would be in the Education Ministry’s best interests to recruit independent experts to develop a neutral and unbiased learning module.

Ultimately, we cannot have a politically aware citizen without first having a patriotic one. Political education has to go hand-in-hand with the existing civic education curriculum.

In a final pitch for political education in schools, let me highlight its two other important benefits.

Firstly, political education is a means to counter extremism. Mizan Aslam, a counter-terrorism expert at Universiti Perlis Malaysia, believes that “a lack of critical thinking skills and an overt sense of idealism make youths ... more likely to resort to extreme measures when faced with the unpleasant realities of life”.

A study conducted by think tank Iman Research further found that Malaysian youth under 25 years old are most susceptible to radicalisation.

The solution, recommended by researchers at Universiti Putra Malaysia and IYRES, is to improve political literacy among youth which will help mould them into responsible citizens who can “decide on and support” able leaders.

Secondly, political education can help avoid apathy. It is when students are taught that Parliament is not useless, politics is not meant to be dirty, and their every vote counts that we can restore hope among younger generations in the country.

Higher political literacy promotes higher accountability, and when we don’t lose hope to perceived hopelessness or boredom of politics, we can stem issues such as brain drain and lack of fresh blood in our nation’s leadership.

We can only build a country by first building its people, and that includes imparting the necessary knowledge to citizens at an impressionable age to help them make informed decisions.

Student Jonathan Lee traces his writing roots to The Star’s BRATs (young journalists) programme, which he has written for since 2016. He is now a Malaysian youth advocate. @ypolitics.my is a youth-led movement and Instagram page that aims to generate more politically aware Malaysian youths by regularly posting infographics on local and global current affairs. The views expressed here are solely his own.