As the 14th general election approaches, The Malaysian Insight looks at new and young politicians who are being groomed by their parties to stand as candidates. One of the biggest grouses among the electorate is the lack of young leaders as the heads of political parties, even in the opposition. Where are the young to take Malaysia forward? 

AMONG younger Umno members, Shahril Hamdan is one of those trying to foster more debate and engagement with the opposition, believing that the younger generation needs to know what both sides have to offer.

Only with knowledge and by hearing from both sides of the divide first-hand can youth pick a political party that best represents them.

It’s no longer like before, he said, when politicians relied on meeting people and shaking hands in their constituencies.

“Along with those things (meeting voters on the ground), younger people (today) need to see ideas and decide based on who they think best represent their aspirations or can win over their support through argument, through persuasion,” said the 32-year-old who is an Umno Youth executive committee member.

Shahril has debated with Bersatu Youth chief Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman and DAP lawmaker Zairil Khir Johari, aged 25 and 35, respectively.

The philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) graduate from the University of Manchester also regularly attends forums featuring speakers from the opposition coalition, Pakatan Harapan.

“I enjoy testing myself with the best from the other side. My conviction of what I believe in is very high, very strong, but the way to know your conviction is strong is when you test it with other people who feel diametrically opposite to you,” he added.

Shahril got involved in politics in 2008 after graduating from Manchester and worked under Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who was then a newly elected MP for Rembau.

“That was when I got exposed to what politics was, what Umno was,” he said, adding that Khairy remains an inspirational political figure.

He returned to the United Kingdom in 2010 to pursue his master’s in race ethnicity and postcolonial studies at the London School of Economics.

After joining the private sector in an oil and gas company, he was appointed to the Umno Youth exco in 2013.

“I’m still wearing two hats. I juggle with some difficulty, but it is matter of time management. I come into office in the morning and leave at the end of the work day and after that, I do my politics at night or especially on weekends.

“But I find that if you are clever about stealing a couple hours here and there, you can still have a decent social life. I try not to skip too many lunches with the family.”

No one in his family had ever joined politics. His father worked at a bank while his mother was a freelance piano teacher.

Shahril grew up in a two-bedroom low-cost flat in Shah Alam before the family moved to Damansara.

“I went through that very stark social mobility from growing up in a working class, low-income area to a middle-class area and maybe I was more perceptive as a child than others.

“I felt that that was an eye-opener and I realised that there were certain things about class politics and ethnic politics that may have affected me personally as well, which then got me interested about what is right, what is wrong, what is the big question.”

As a teenager, he was drawn to books that revolved around politics, he said, when asked what drew him to politics.

Umno became the party of his choice because he felt any reform or advancement for the Malay community was not possible outside of the party.

“While I respect or accept my other colleagues who are in other parties who feel the same kind of passion as I do, which is to do good things for the Malay community, I don’t think that work can only happen outside. It needs a progressive strength from within the main Malay party, which is Umno.”

When asked about anti-establishment sentiments that many youth have, Shahril said most people would have experienced such feelings in life.

There will come a time, however, when one will have to choose, he added.

“Once you put aside the youth-driven anti-establishment feeling, which I think goes away as you get older, you sort of realise the realities of both sides.”

Asked about standing as a candidate in GE14, Shahril declined to speak about the matter but described himself as a team player and would also help the party, especially on issues of national unity.

Whether or not he contests the elections, he said, he would be happy to still be a member in years to come, if that is what people wanted.

“I hope I am still relevant in whatever capacity that Umno and its members allow me to be in. As long as the public and party think I am relevant, I am happy to be around.” – March 7, 2018.