MUDA secretary-general Amira Aisya Abd Aziz said has said that the party cannot go into the next general election alone because it needs the support and reach of a large coalition and it lacks the infrastructure and funds of the established parties.

Traditional parties and their campaigns typically focused on getting one thing from their supporters – votes. Muda should focus its grassroots efforts to also ask for time.

As stated in its charter, Muda aims to tap into the young people’s political energy. 

Millennials and Gen Z are not just on social networks like Facebook and Instagram but connecting to all across the web. Muda should find these people who are going to be their advocates and have them talk about its message.

Muda should use the power of social media and technology to provide a variety of ways for people to be involved, such as by opening a channel MyMuda.my as the hub of all activities. 

The tools and the MyMuda.my site should not be complicated. It is where Muda will build its relationship with the supporters.

The aim of MyMuda.my is to allow the supporters to connect with one another and help the party campaign. 

They make use of online tools to campaign both online and offline on Muda’s behalf. In practice, this means that key tasks such as canvassing voters, raising funds and recruiting volunteers are outsourced to this new army of online volunteers who, having signed up via MyMuda.my, are now capable of autonomous action and tactical control of campaign operations.

MyMuda.my will house a plethora of materials and user generated content such as TikTok videos, speeches, photos, and how-to guides that allow users to create their own content.

Users could “friend” the exco members of Muda on the network, sign up for text messages and e-mails and make a donation or register to vote. 

Exco members will be encouraged to regularly update their profile to inform people what they are up to so that the public feel connected and in conversation with the leadership of Muda. 

Muda should, however, be forewarned that adoption is not without cost in that to gain maximum returns on its investment, it has to surrender some control over core campaign tasks to non-members.

The site should track all donations and inform the rakyat of everything that Muda does. Instead of regurgitating press releases and repeating what’s in the news, Muda should report what isn’t in the news and what is happening at the grassroots level across the country. 

The baby boomers who lived through and participated in the rise of the economy and the rapid moral decay of this country have never felt more hopeless than now in this polarising political environment and developments. Young people, however, are different. They have yet to experience hopelessness in the future of the country. 

And the young people are now giving a renewed sense of optimism to the baby boomers that they are not alone and the baby boomers are also beginning to see themselves as part of a rising, politically engaged generation that is full of energy and enthusiasm, a crucial motivator for political engagement.

Muda should start engaging with the millennials and Gen Z now.  

Do not despair if Muda does not make much headway in the next general election. Build the above framework as the cornerstone for the future of politics in Malaysia. – March 25, 2022.

* FLK reads The Malaysian Insight.