Malay Mail - February 26, 2009     

BY 2013, the country’s population will have approximately two million young Malaysians who have reached the age of 21, rendering them eligible to vote for the first time.

Taking into account the four million eligible but who did not register for the March 8 polls last year, there is a potential six million names which could be added to the electoral rolls for the 13th general elections.

 

These first-timers could very well provide new dynamics within the Malaysian political landscape – and make the difference between winning and losing.

 

That a good number of these voters are more politically aware, well informed and Internet savvy is well documented and accepted by many.

 

It is also reasonable to expect that based on current trends, the bulk of this segment would not join political parties but instead would choose to remain out of active politics, and vote for candidates whom they feel represent their aspirations.

 

The assumption that these young adults are not interested in politics because they are not members of a political party could prove to be fatal to competing political organisations.

 

Although they do not participate in political programmes and activities, they utilise other means such as Internet forums, Facebook groups, blogs and other Cyberspace facilities to discuss issues that are relevant to them. According to the web information company Alexa, Lowyat.net for example, a popular forum amongst youth, is the 24th highest ranked website in Malaysia.

 

This means firstly that campaign tools must evolve to accommodate the new communities brought about by the ICT revolution. The reliance on social networking platforms, Internet media and mobile phones is the reality of today, and one that politicians cannot afford to ignore.

 

That being said, wooing the young electorate over by campaigning and utilising new platforms alone would not be enough.

 

It is important that leaders need to understand and address issues that are central to the lives of these young people. No doubt these include the common matters pertaining to the economy, political stability, education, job opportunities and social problems, all of which cut across the

population.

 

However, manifestos that feature physical development and indebtedness to the quest for independence half a century ago are no longer the end-all and be-all factors that reckon in a big way with the new “now” generation.

 

The rhetoric has to change; it is no longer about track records; as it often construed with sports, you are only as good as your last outing or game.

 

Another important element that needs to be considered in gaining the confidence of this segment is

rapid urbanisation and its effects on youths. Currently, internal migration is dominated by Malaysians mainly in the age group of 15 to 34 years.

Data for urbanisation clearly shows the magnitude of this trend.

In 1980, the level of urbanisation was only 34.2 per cent; by 2000 it had reached 61.8 per cent.

The rate of urbanisation is estimated to reach 85 per cent in 2050!

With such urbanisation portended, the traditional definition of grassroots in Malaysian politics i.e

the rural voters, is fast evolving. This new segment will compete for everything in their daily lives, be it being the first in line for public transport, securing the best jobs in an increasingly narrow employment market or landing that great accommodation in the most convenient of locations at the lowest price.

 

As such, to capture the new grassroots, political parties must feature leaders that are empathetic and are able to provide solutions to common bread and butter lifestyle issues.

The  welfare theme hits a chord with the new grassroots.

In the next elections, the number of candidates representing this segment should also increase significantly.

However, lining up young parliamentary and State candidates alone may not be sufficient. To illustrate understanding of the changing political landscape, the political parties must be seen to be empowering the representatives of this generation at the highest level of policy making.

It would be ideal if the traditional Cabinet reshuffling post the Umno elections reflects the embracing of change. Umno can steal the thunder and claim the first mover advantage in the quest to win the hearts and minds of this new segment by appointing more youth leaders as ministers and deputy ministers, especially in critical ministries.

When Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad  Badawi hands over the mantle of leadership to Datuk Seri Najib Razak next month, it will mark an end of a generation of Prime Ministers that experienced first hand and participated in the nation’s struggle for independence. Significantly, the acknowledgment of generational progression should trickle down to the youth leadership.

After all, there is a new segment of grassroots that is waiting to be led.