CIVIL society organisation Watan is hoping to encourage young Malaysians to register to vote by leveraging on the star power of celebrities including Marina Mahathir, Altimet, Daphne Iking and Remy Ishak.

With more than 3.7 million unregistered voters – two-thirds of whom are between 21 and 30 years old, according to Election Commission figures – Watan is taking on a more millennial approach to capture the hearts and minds of youths.

“Celebrities have a huge following and we are just tapping into their network,” Watan executive director Masjaliza Hamzah told The Malaysian Insight.

She added that the method has been used in campaigns worldwide such as Rock Your Vote in the US and rappers for Jeremy Corbyn in the UK elections.

Getting celebrities on board who are not linked to any political parties also helps keep the campaign non-partisan, which is a central principle for Watan.

“We don’t want to link our registration campaign with political parties. There’s room for that but it’s not Watan’s role. Our goal is to move registration,” Masjaliza said.

“Who they end up voting for is a choice they will make themselves.”

The first video published in April launched Watan’s “Action up. Be Heard” voter registration campaign featuring activist Marina Mahathir, singer and actress Sasha Saidin, film producer Reuben Kang, television and radio host Aishah Sinclair and model Lee Yvonne.

The second video was released in October and features emcee Daphne Iking, rapper Altimet and actors Fatiya Latiff and Remy Ishak telling youths to register to vote.

To tap into Malaysians’ usage of WhatsApp, which is the highest in the world according to the Digital News Report 2017, Watan today put out an app-friendly version of their latest video. 

“Watan wants to make it easier for people to share the video among friends and family. There’s no need to click on a link – just share,” Masjaliza said.

The video has already garnered 1,200 views on YouTube, but for Watan registering to vote is ultimately only the first step in the democratic and nation-building process. The organisation also hopes to empower and educate youths into a more politically aware generation.

“Once you register to vote, then what happens?” said Watan’s publicity coordinator Liyana Yusof.

“We weren’t raised to be a politically active, socially conscious group. In fact, exercising our democratic rights could have gotten us expelled or our scholarships revoked.

“So, it’s no wonder our largest voting bloc feels the most powerless.”

Liyana is in the process of creating a voter education programme that encompasses topics such as the actual voting process, election campaigning and knowing your representatives.

“Decision-making should not be dominated by older population. Young Malaysians need to be included and involved in the nation-building process. We need to be talked with, not at or to.

“Taking part in the political process is part of being Malaysian… it’s more than just being a mature consumer and a hard worker,” Liyana said.

But for now, Watan will continue to try new avenues to engage the youth, whether on social media or through videos and challenges. – November 1, 2017.