"The Role of Youth in Malaysian Politics"

Abstract

Abstract Abstract: The role of youth in Malaysian politics has always been an issue of concern among the youth and adult citizens of Malaysia. Malaysians have long perceived the political involvement of the youth to be limited, causing disquiet among the Malaysians about the effect such limited participation will have on the future. However, in recent years, this perception has begun to change, with more and more Malaysians being aware of the increased political engagement of the youth. The objective of this study is to detail the opinions of Malaysian youth political activists regarding the competency of the government in handling the COVID-19 crisis in Malaysia since 2020, to identify the views of Malaysian youth leaders regarding their political tendencies beginning from 2020 and to understand how the Malaysian youth think the landscape of politics in Malaysia should change. Two theoretical frameworks were chosen to explain the findings of this study: the SIRDE model, which describes the increasing political activism of youth in Malaysia because of the frustration of the youth towards political actors within the government, and the theory of political socialization that explains the negative perception that the youths have towards the government. This study uses the qualitative method, specifically semi-structured interviews to gain pertinent data. According to the findings, the increased political participation of the youths is indeed influenced by how the Muhyiddin government handled the pandemic in 2020 and 2021. At the same time, social media usage and the implementation of the amendment to the minimum age of voting in Malaysia have been significantly responsible for intensifying youth political participation since 2020. R e g a r d i n g w h a t a s p e c t s o f t h e p o l i t i c a l l a n d s c a p e t h e youth leaders w i s h e s t o c h a n g e , t h e s e a s p e c t s a r e the strengthening of institutions that monitor government accountability and the enactment of policies that ensure a coalition government wouldn’t be allowed to collapse quickly. Spreading the proper knowledge through this study regarding the role of the youth in politics would increase their relevance in Malaysian political discourses. From there, Malaysia c o u l d better prepare for its future's long-term development by ensuring that the future generation of policymakers feels connected with the current political landscape.