Youth navigating Malaysian politics; time for political literacy

From L-R: Am Abdul Aziz, Chow Shenn Kuan, & Khair Noor Hisham

Young, hopeful and discerning

Recently, I had a chat with three young Perdana Fellows attached to the Finance Ministry - Am Abdul Aziz, 26, Chow Shenn Kuan, 24, and Khair Noor Hisham, 22 - and our conversation was about the recent Sabah state elections, during which a mini quiz arose on "Malaysian political acronyms" such as PN, PH, MN, PPBM, PAS, Umno, PKR, DAP, GRS and Muda.

The guessing success rate was about 90%, which is not bad considering just seven months ago, three of the ten had yet to come into existence.

When asked about the current political-governance landscape, their responses and focuses varied.

Am, a University of Nottingham economics graduate, felt that the Sabah state elections was good as it enabled Sabahans to decide on their political leadership.

Regarding Perikatan Nasional, he said, “I can see that the government cares for the people – as evidenced from the various economic stimulus packages -- even if it wasn’t necessarily the government that was chosen”.

Khair, a business economics undergraduate at Sheffield Hallam University (and a UiTM Pahang diploma holder), recounted attending recent parliamentary debates on the Covid-19 funding bill and remarked that “the current climate should be cleaner and more mature. Leaders must be educated, capable, and lead by example. No more name calling, we need them to debate issues”.

Shenn, a Sunway University business studies alumnus, commented that political focus should be broadened.

Having attended the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030 townhall in Kuala Lumpur on 29 September, she observed that the vision was very Malaysian centric and remarked, “what about other humans co-existing with us in our country, including our marginalized and underprivileged migrants, refugees and stateless communities?”

Shenn feels that it is time for Malaysia take a more universal leadership role and give education, employment, and healthcare rights to all.

Political literacy

The conversation shifted to the topic of political literacy. Am, Khair and Shenn acknowledge they have been fortunate to gain political exposure, and said that more needs to be done for youth.

“It is time for us to strengthen political literacy in Malaysia, keeping in mind that UNDI18 is coming into force next year with over 3.8 million first time youth voters, ” says Khair.

“Or maybe an earlier general elections?” quips Am with a smile.

Political literacy is important so that young Malaysians can learn to be critical and develop healthy democratic habits. Am fears that in today’s climate, politics is too

easily swayed by emotions and influenced by rhetoric, or as Khair puts it, the “tricks of some manipulative politicians”.

“Moreover, it will also equip and empower young Malaysians to vote based on issues and leadership, and not just along party lines”, adds Khair.

Shenn, who hails from Taiping, believes that while politics should not mix with education, political literacy should. And it must go beyond the school classroom and encompass experiential learning. “My first ever visit to Parliament was in July 2020 at the age of 24. It should have been sooner”.

Shenn also hopes that the Government supports civil society organisations (CSO) as key components in nation building; working together to ensure politically literate

Malaysians at the ballot booths. In Malaysia, such CSOs include Polisi Lab, Nation

Building School, Akademi Kapten Hussain, Akademi Harimau Asia, Undi18 and more. Technolog is vital too. During the MCO, political literacy programmes such as “Parlimen Digital” were held fully online.

When asked what subjects would encompass political literacy, they listed down quite a number: separation of powers, forms of governments and elections, political history and philosophy, law and ethics, media, human rights, race relations, needs and wants, and comparisons with other countries.

Incorporating political literacy into the education system would be the next big step,

but not without its challenges. While needing to be delivered in a neutral and objective manner, it could itself be politicised. This piece of the jigsaw needs some thinking through.

Youth expectations Part of political literacy is the ability to discern political messages. So naturally, I asked them about Muda, a party which aims to attract young Malaysians such as them.

The question excited Am, who believes Muda might revolutionise Malaysia’s political landscape and finds its multiracial “a party for all Malaysians” approach very appealing. For him, Muda hits the right chords of fighting corruption, abolishing warlord politics, power sharing and youth empowerment.

“Nevertheless, ” he says, “the Muda brand might get old over time. Syed Saddiq’s media savvy only goes so far. He needs to show that the team has experience to govern as idealism is not enough. Clarity on funding and ideological positioning is important too”.

For Khair, age or race does not matter. Rather, it is about the politician’s ability to serve. “They must understand the peoples’ needs and be able to solve problems wisely. Oh, and they must not have fake education credentials”.

Shenn believes Malaysian politics needs greater female and minority representation.

Political literacy can be the spark needed.

A better future

Moving ahead, against the backdrop of Covid-19’s challenges to our health and economy, Am, Shenn and Khair believe that political leadership has become even more important. In the immediate term, the health and economic progress of the nation needs strong and stable leadership.

For the long term, their ideal future is one couched in societal equality, empowerment of minorities, environmental awareness, and collective responsibility for prosperity based on need and merit, as opposed to other fixed criteria. For this, they believe visionary political leadership will be key.

Speaking to them reminds me of an idealism I may have perhaps lost along the way with age. Their passion for nation-building is sincere. It is truly refreshing to see hope and spirit in young Malaysians, and greater political literacy coverage could just be what this nation’s democracy needs.

I would like to thank Am, Shenn and Khair for sharing their views and giving feedback for this article.