KUALA LUMPUR: Individuals of calibre, capable of solving the people's issues and social media-literate – these are among the characteristics that first-time young voters aged 18 to 21 are looking for when they vote in the 15th General Election (GE15).
According to a many new automatically registered voters, they also want elected representatives who have the capability of uniting the community, regardless of political affiliation, skin colour or religion, in addition to listening efficiently to the voice of the people.
Tuition teacher Lorrine Elspeth Lumandan, 20, from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, said she hoped that elected representatives would always keep their promise to change the fate of the people and not just on the basis of the manifesto.
"They should always be concerned about the welfare of the local community by going down to the ground to see their problems for themselves, listen to the people's complaints and try their best to ease their burdens.
"In addition, elected representatives also need to know how to utilise social media to convey messages to the people, especially the younger generation," said Lorrine, who will be voting in the Sepanggar parliamentary constituency.
Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) student Nurqistina Safea Mohd Rashidi, 19, is of the view that representatives who will be elected in GE15 need to be sensitive to the voices of young people by caring about the welfare and education of the country.
Nurqistina Safea, who will return to her hometown in Ipoh, Perak to cast her vote for the first time, also wants a special platform for young people to interact with political party leaders and their representatives through social media.
"I will also look at the public's acceptance of the leader on social media, and their credibility based on the comments and feedback from their followers," Nurqistina Safea said, adding that she would also follow current developments on candidates who will be contesting.
Meanwhile, S. SharvinJay Nath, 19, a diploma student of the Kolej Yayasan Pelajaran Johor who will be voting in the Iskandar Puteri parliamentary constituency, said that it was high time for political parties to give opportunities to young people to take the lead in local leadership through GE15.
"I believe that young leaders are more enthusiastic and efficient in carrying out their responsibilities. Apart from having stamina, they are also diligent in doing charity work, especially during the floods as well as other disasters.
"What they convey to the people is also easier to understand, especially among young people, because they are also literate in social media and are often creative in conveying current issues to their followers," he said.
Based on the electoral roll age statistics, as of Oct 9, a total of 1,393,549 voters aged 18 to 20 nationwide will vote for the first time in GE15.
The Election Commission (EC) set the polling day for GE15 on Nov 19, nomination day on Nov 5 and early voting on Nov 15. – Bernama
