Young Hearts and Minds: Understanding Malaysian Gen Z’s Political Perspectives and Allegiances

Summary

INTRODUCTION

History books are filled with examples of angry youths, through fierce idealism and economic desperation, forcing through a change in the political landscape, either through protest, political participation and co-option or a peaceful or violent revolution. The self-immolation of a young and poor Mohamed Bouazizi, who exemplified the economic hardship of Tunisia's youth population, sparked an anti-government uprising that soon spread across the Arab World: Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, and Bahrain. Professor Mulderig of Boston University argued that the Arab Spring “could not have occurred without the ideological and numerical push of a huge mass of angry youth”. The most common protest profile was a young Arab aged 15 to 24, which represented approximately 20 per cent of the population in the region, resulting from years of high birth rates and prolonged lifespans.

An example like this was not uncommon. The 1968 student-led protest in Paris by the National Union of Students of France remains etched in the memories of the French today, as it moved more than 22 per cent of the population into action, bringing the economy to a standstill. In the same historic year, a coalition of students also ushered protests in Mexico, originating from excessive spending on the Olympics Games, which resulted in a tragic massacre and lasting political reforms. The Iran Revolution in 1979 and the Velvet Revolution in 1989 were two other significant marks to show that youths and political change are not strangers.

However, Malaysia's youth story does not share the same history as these significant other cases. Other than a few isolated student protests at university, Malaysian youths have been widely considered as less engaged in politics, partly due to a small, registered voter group, and partly due to laws that discourage political participation among students and youths. In the past, youth voters in Malaysia had consistently lower voter turnout rates than other cohorts. TindakMalaysia director Danesh Chacko offered two examples in Malaysia's 14th general election (GE14) in Sungai Rambai and Batu Lintang, where youths between 21 to 29 years old had a voter turnout rate that was 2–5 per cent lower than other cohorts.