Young voters at the forefront of changing political landscape

PETALING JAYA: Undi18 has brought a change to the Malaysian political landscape as youths have now become valuable assets for all parties, says Muda secretary-general Amir Hariri Abd Hadi.

He said with the inclusion of the younger cohort of voters under Undi18, youths who were previously seen as powerless and simple flag bearers, are now considered the biggest asset for political parties.

According to Amir, the lowering of the voting age to 18, or the Undi18 movement, has also made youths an asset for parties such as Umno.

He said Undi18’s biggest achievement is that it has initiated conversations among youths on politics and current issues.

“The conversations are about specific matters such as corruption and policies by ministries and human rights.”

He said Undi18 has also created a space for youths to be at the forefront of political parties, with some parties now starting to field younger candidates in the general election.

“As for Muda itself, our party ecosystem suits the current political scene. Our party was born because of the Undi18 breakthrough,” he said of the youth-centric party led by Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

Amir said that the government should also be responsible for educating young voters.

He said the government should designate one NGO for each school to give the younger generation exposure to the “reality of society”.

“Political education is not only about the party,” he added.

Amir said that the responses Muda received through its Malaysia Maju outreach programme over the past few months showed that young people want all Malaysians to have better living conditions.

“They demand better quality jobs that pay adequately.

“They demand better mobility around the city through an improved public transportation system,” he said.

MIC Youth chief K. Raven Kumar said the Johor election in March was the first to feel the impact of young voters.

“I think it is a clear indication that the youths are placing their trust in Barisan Nasional,” he added.

In the Johor polls, Barisan secured a two-thirds majority after winning 40 out of 56 state seats contested.

To encourage youth participation in politics, Raven said MIC Youth has launched an initiative known as “Briged Pemuda MIC” that promotes volunteerism.

He said Briged Pemuda MIC has contributed to helping during the Taman Sri Muda floods, adding they are also preparing to help out during the year-end monsoon season.

Raven said the concerns of the youth differ from those staying in the rural and urban areas.

But overall, they just want a caring and stable government.

“They know that an unstable government affects their dreams.

“That’s why in Johor, our ideology was ‘Kestabilan Demi Kemakmuran’ (Stability for Prosperity), and we have all seen how the economy has not only recovered, but various opportunities are now available to the youth,” said Raven.

Based on MIC’s experience, Raven said the young are very much interested in local politics.

“We can see how vocal they are on social media and it’s very much welcome,” he added.

Pejuanita Muda chief Dr Nurul Ashikin Mabahwi said the challenge is to ensure that the Undi18 group will go out to vote.

She also said older candidates may be at the losing end as younger voters may gravitate to candidates within their age group.

According to statistics by the Election Commission, some 1.39 million voters are on the electoral roll under the Undi18 category.