KUALA LUMPUR: As Malaysia’s youth continue to play a larger role in the nation’s political landscape, a local professor has launched a new book that seeks to better understand what drives their engagement in real life.
Authored by Prof Dr Monna Ong Siew Siew, the book, titled “Engaging a Generation: Voting Intention and Political Participation Among Malaysian Millennials”, was launched recently at Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TAR UMT).
Ong said her research explores Malaysian millennials’ understanding of political participation and what influences their willingness to vote and get involved in civic matters.
“The study explores a question that is both academic and relevant to our society - how do Malaysian millennials understand participation and what truly shapes their engagement in real life?” she said during her speech at the launch.
Ong expressed appreciation to TAR UMT and thanked University of Malaya Press for supporting her research.
“You have given this work a voice beyond the confines of a thesis, allowing it to reach a wider audience,” she said.
Ong also said the guidance and patience of her mentors and supervisors have supported her through challenging moments.
“They did not simply guide a thesis, they nurtured a journey,” she said.
Ong also thanked Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy for his mentorship.
“From him, I have learned that knowledge must not remain confined to theory, but must find its way into practice, into society and into the lived realities of people,” she added.
“Engaging a Generation: Voting Intention and Political Participation Among Malaysian Millennials” is the first publication by a TAR UMT graduate that originated from a doctoral thesis completed at the institution.
