AS a PKR activist, Eekmal Ahmad never thought he would one day share the stage with former finance minister Daim Zainuddin, a national icon often associated with the Barisan Nasional regime that his party opposes.

What was even more surprising was that Daim, who was said to be able to move markets in his heyday as a banker, was interested in what young people like him had to say about the country and its direction.  

Daim’s experiences and insights were a good foil to reflect upon and challenge the assumptions about government, public policy and society that Eekmal had formed as being part of the anti-BN, reformasi generation of the late 1990s.

“We don’t have to believe everything he says but some of it helps us see the big picture when it comes to running a complex country such as ours,” said Eekmal who was the moderator for a dialogue session as part of the Malaysia Baru initiative.

“We saw his perspective on why they did what they did,” said the 33-year-old.

Eekmal’s experience encapsulates what the three-month-old Malaysia Baru is about – to help up and coming young politicians in Pakatan Harapan and non-partisan opinion-makers get a holistic sense of the challenges and complexities of the country.

This, said Eekmal, will hopefully prepare these young leaders when the time comes for them to take on bigger roles in their respective parties.

Malaysia Baru does this by giving them the opportunity to have discussions with veteran leaders, such as Daim and in September, Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali.

In January, it plans to hold another dialogue with former prime minister and Pakatan Harapan chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

But it is not just veteran politicians who are featured, said one of Malaysia Baru’s founders, Dr Afif Bahardin, who is also PKR deputy Youth chief and Seberang Jaya assemblyman.

Two of four dialogues were with civil society activists, such as Adam Adli and lawyer Syahredzan Johan, and with student leaders from the International Islamic University (IIUM).

“It’s a platform where young leaders and opinion shapers can come together to talk about not just what ails the country but to find solutions for the future,” said Dr Afif, who holds the agriculture, agro-based industries, rural development and health portfolio in the Penang government.

“Because these days, everyone wants to talk about the future of the country and what we want that country to be.”

In the Daim dialogue for instance, Eekmal said the former minister, who is still an Umno member, shared his thoughts on balancing the need to attract foreign investment with maintaining national sovereignty.

“He himself admitted he comes from the ‘old Malaysia’ and he is a pure nationalist. So, he is very cautious about dealing with foreigners and external investment, and he gave his reasons.”

Eekmal said Daim’s thoughts on the current administration’s drive to attract money from China were illuminating. It challenges the establishment’s view that China was a benign investor.

In the closed-door session on December 17, Daim also shared his thoughts on what ailed the country, namely the creaky school system, corruption and inequality.

The ultimate aim, said Dr Afif, is to make the practice of having public dialogues a normal feature in the Malaysian political landscape and to get more youth engaged in national issues.

This last aim is timely as a Merdeka Centre survey showed that youth are tuning out of politics out of distrust and disinterest for politicians.

“Everyone wants to see change in the country but to achieve those changes we have to get together and get the fundamentals right”. – December 21, 2017.