THE future of Malaysia lies in the hands of youth, as they will have to speak out against oppression and fight for a more transparent government in the next 14th general election, a Perak PKR Youth leader said.

Sandrea Ng, who is vice-chief of Perak PKR Youth, said youth are most affected by the government’s economic and education policies today, a burden they will bear into the future.

“Youth today face a lot of pressure and many problems, including education, job opportunities and cost of living. They are all caused by government policies that are unfair and had failed to consider the voices of the youths.

“To remedy this situation, youth must realise the root of their problems and take action by getting involved in politics. That is how they can get their voices heard,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

Ng, 36, a former student activist in Universiti Putra Malaysia’s (UPM) Gerakan Mahasiswa Maju, said youth cannot think they are detached from politics.

Politics, she said, determined their future and for their interests, they must know and understand current issues, government policies.

“When I was a student, I was involved in student activism. That experience opened my eyes to injustices in society and oppression faced by the people because of the Barisan Nasional regime.

“That made me want to help bring change to make Malaysia better… institutional reform is the main agenda. The corrupt and oppressive system must be changed immediately,” said the daughter of a hawker from Mersing.

Ng has lived in Gopeng for almost 10 years, and once served as a special officer to a state executive councillor when the Perak government was controlled by the now defunct Pakatan Rakyat in 2008.

She is one of the local PKR leaders who is being considered to stand in Teja, a state seat in the Gopeng parliamentary constituency.

The political secretary to Gopeng MP Lee Boon Chye, Ng may be the one chosen to defend the state seat if the incumbent, Chang Lih Kang, is selected to contest the BN-held Tanjung Malim parliamentary seat.

For her, the rising cost of living is a major issue for the 30,000 people in Teja.

She said the economy in Teja has to be strengthened, with its agriculture and tourism sectors developed to their full potential.

“Teja has the potential to be an agriculture hub. It can be the place for herb and vegetable farming, and ornamental fish breeding. We have Gua Tempurung and the Perak Herb Garden that can be further developed as tourism attractions.

“These two sectors have been going small. Farming is done traditionally. If we can grow both sectors properly, we can create more jobs too, like tourist guides and entrepreneurs,” said the food science graduate.

If selected to contest the seat, Ng said she would also do her best to find ways to create more jobs for youth in Teja and improve local living standards.

“I would love to have the public infrastructure and amenities upgraded too to improve the people’s convenience,” she said. – March 29, 2018.