YOUTH were the power of change in the 1970s and at the forefront of the shock results of the 2008 general election and can be the agents of change once again, said four panellists at a forum in Bangsar last night.

According to Bersatu Youth (Armada) chief Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, the youth movements between 1970 and 1980 sparked changes and forced the government to acknowledge their roles in politics.

“Their activism in universities and bodies like Abim caused the government to take notice and for the first time there were three chief ministers below the age of 40 – Najib Razak (Pahang menteri besar), Mohd Isa Abdul Samad (Negri Sembilan MB) and Rahim Thamby Chik (Malacca CM).

“Others who were quickly recruited into the leadership then included Anwar Ibrahim and Ibrahim Ali,” he said.

And although the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (UUCA) dampened the youth movement after that, other leaders, such as Adam Adli, rose in 2013 to challenge the status quo, he added.

“What has happened outside the campus with leaders like Adam Adli has broken the barrier for people like me to continue the struggle. And the youth today can do it again,” he said.

Human rights lawyer Syahredzan Johan said youth cannot stay quiet and let others determine their future.

“For the people who do not vote, I think they are outsourcing. If they really want something, they have to do something,

“If the youth do not agree with the country’s direction, they have to vote.”

He added that behind the 2008 GE results were movements like Bersih, which was led by youth.

“Some of these young leaders then, went on to become MPs.”

Syed Saddiq and Syahredzan were joined by two other panellists, Fahmi Fadzil and Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, at the forum “Change government or change youths” organised by Kelab Bangsar Utama. The session was moderated by lawyer Quratulain Atiqah Norzahirul Anuar.

The forum is the second in a series to address the malaise among youth in Malaysian politics since 2013.

According to the Election Commission, there were 4.2 million unregistered eligible voters in Malaysia in 2016 with the majority of them being youth.

EC chairman Mohd Hashim Abdullah said since 2013, the number of new voters has only increased by 354,141 over three years. In 2013, the number of registered voters was 13.27 million.

PKR communications director Fahmi recounted how he got involved in politics in the 1998 reformasi period when he was just 17.

“It was a grave situation like now. I was in form five at that time and my teacher who taught arts encourage us to go down to the streets and see what is happening to the country,” said Fahmi.

He said that following encouragement from his friends, he volunteered during the 1999 election campaign for Nurul Izzah Anwar. 

“At that time, the atmosphere was different, the youth at that time questioned is this the new Malaysia that we are making?

“I don’t know, but the youth today don’t mind about politics, we just want a fairer Malaysia,” he added. 

DAP’s Dyana, who contested in the Teluk Intan by-election in 2014, said many from the younger generation fail to realise that it is government policies that are the root of their problems.

“The youth have to tell and lobby the politicians for them to solve their problems,” said Dyana. – September 7, 2017.