Under 40: A growing force at the ballot box

Jezmine Zaidan opened a boutique in Selangor last year after profits started rolling in from an e-shop she set up three years ago.

The former magazine writer’s online business Old Blossom Box sells dresses and fashion accessories.

“My target is those below 35 years old because they are young and willing to spend to look fashionable,” Jezmine told The Straits Times.

Jezmine, 26, is among a growing number of young Malaysians coming of age. The country is feeling their growing economic clout—and will soon feel their political muscle as well.

This group, aged 15 to 39, makes up nearly 39% or 11.4 million of Malaysia’s 28.5 million population.

“This large group is our window of opportunity ... for us to harness these resources to become a developed and high-income nation by 2020,” said Dr Anjli-Doshi Gandhi, the deputy director-general of the National Population and Family Development Board.

But first the Malaysian government has to tackle a major challenge: Helping to create enough jobs for this big cohort.

Last year, about 180,000 diploma and degree holders registered with the human resources ministry to look for jobs. That is four times the figure for 2006.

The pressure is likely to grow as more universities and colleges open, adding to the existing 40 higher learning institutions.

Demand is also growing at the pre-school level. About 500,000 babies were born last year, an increase of about 20,000 babies from 2008.

The number of kindergartens and childcare centres in Malaysia has also risen over the last few years, with 1,500 pre-schools operating last year, the highest number ever.

Politically, young voters — referred to by politicians as ‘post-1957 voters’ because they were born after the year Malaysia achieved independence — are expected to have a major impact.

Come 2013, some five million voters or 49% of the electorate of 11 million will be under the age of 40. It will be the largest number of youth voters on Malaysia’s rolls since 1957.

Both the opposition and the ruling coalition are paying great attention to them.

For the opposition parties, these young voters are prime targets as they are seen to be less loyal than their parents to the ruling parties that helped Malaysia to achieve independence.

They are also considered to be more open to the opposition message of reform. “These voters are very important to us, so we have to be more contemporary in our approach and show democracy and transparency,” said Democratic Action Party (DAP) Socialist Youth chief Anthony Loke.

Politicians have indeed been active on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to reach out to them.

The ruling Barisan Nasional is working hard, too, to win them over. Said Umno Youth executive committee member Ahmad Zaki Zahid, 39: “We want to implement what the younger generation wants—more jobs, affordable housing and freedom of speech.”

Asia News Network