My article today is about the country’s youth and their participation as well as their integration into the country’s political arena where their elders or seniors have been entrenched for a long time.
By political participation, I refer to a broad range of activities through which people develop and express their opinions on the world and how it is governed, and try to take part in and shape the decisions that affect their lives.
For the youth, their participation specifically refers to how they are involved in processes, institutions and decisions that affect their lives. This can be active or passive. Active means they are engaged or ready to engage.
There is a close relationship between these youth and their seniors in various democratic activities where elections centred on the pillars of justice must be prioritised to advance social and political growth.
First, through active participation, young people are empowered to play a vital role in their development as well as that of their communities, helping them to learn vital skills, develop knowledge on human rights and citizenship and promote positive civic action. They gain information about their options and rights, develop decision-making skills, develop an understanding of decision processes, and gain a sense of control in these processes.
The participation of our young people as voters and candidates is increasingly recognised in our society because of the size of the youth population. They are considered very important as they can have a significant impact on the political landscape in the future. They are seen as crucial to national politics, thanks to Bill Undi18 which proposed allowing Malaysians aged as young as 18 to vote and/or run for office. The proposition was agreed to unanimously and then passed on July 25, 2019, by Parliament.
Second, the roles, functions, and experiences of the seniors in politics should be combined with the new input from the youth. Of course, before that, the youth must be educated in the overall political process of the country. The youth-seniors mix should be achieved in the context of cooperation, taking into consideration that “old people eater lots of salt for a very long time”. In Malay, this saying refers to how the elderly have gained lots of knowledge and experience due to their age.
As in other human endeavours, only the strong and wise survives. In politics, ascending and descending, or going in and out of favour or fashion, is commonplace. Both can happen in several ways. In accomplishing goals and plans, old approaches may no longer be suitable but may be repurposed and combined with new styles so that they can continue to be used suitably. Don’t be too quick to discard what used to work well.
I would be remiss if I fail to mention briefly the role of the youth in governance, which is to help the young to be relevant in the decision-making process, and also allows them to broaden their experiences.
There are several benefits of their participation. To name a few, they are increased competencies, self-esteem, skills and knowledge; enhanced individual development as it provides youth with opportunities to generate real community change; increased status and stature in the community, and better self-discipline and time management.
The government can encourage young people to actively participate in the democratic process by including them in youth organisations, NGOs, workplaces, and political parties, even standing as candidates in elections, directly or indirectly communicating with decision-makers.
The involvement of youth and seniors in our political system is essential and must be encouraged so that political legacies can be passed on. This ought to be part of the democratic discourses before prospective leaders are presented to the voters.
** Dr Nur Aida Kipli (PhD) is a senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak.
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The views expressed here are those of the analyst and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
