Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng has reacted enthusiastically to news of the appointment of Jocelyn Yow, an American with Malaysian and Vietnamese roots, as mayor of the US Californian town of Eastdale.
Lim said young Malaysians should know that they too have an important role in the country's political development and urged them to contribute.
"Yow’s appointment on Dec 10 marks a new era in American politics. The achievement of this young American, who has roots in Alor Setar, Kedah, brings her closer to home as the role model for our young people.
"It is no longer age or grey hair that is accepted as the mark of wisdom, but what matters the most today is the competence of the younger generation in handling an important job such as being the mayor of a city.
"Young people who are knowledgeable and demonstrate strong leadership skills can make a big impact on society as a whole," he said in a statement today.
The lawmaker added that Malaysia needs more young leaders who are capable of driving the nation to greater heights, especially in an era where technology rules.
Yow, who is a mother to a six-month-old son, was born in the US but returned to Malaysia as an infant and lived in Kedah for a decade, studying at SMJK Keat Hwa in Alor Setar.
Her Malaysian father went to the US in the 1980s for studies where he met her mother whose family arrived in the US as Vietnam refugees.
Yow studied at the University of California, Berkeley and is now pursuing a master’s degree in government at Harvard Extension School.
The 25-year-old is reportedly the youngest woman from a minority race to serve as a mayor of a California city.
She is also an advocate for more female representation in politics.
"Being a coloured minority in the US, Yow’s ability to garner the support of both white and Afro-Americans is simply astounding. Despite her age, she was able to emerge as the victor in the city council election," Lim said.
This, he said, should inspire young Malaysians to rise above the rut of political discourses that the country is in now.
"They should fight for the ideals that they believe in, with the hope that they will be able to turn this nation into a better country to live in.
"Our young people must shed the old mindset that they have no part to play in Malaysian politics.
"They can begin somewhere in either politics or social work and they too will be able to contribute towards national development," he added.
Lim urged youths to not give up on the nation and leave the country for good.
"This is why I earnestly request Malaysian graduates who are currently residing overseas not to give up on our country; instead, they should return to serve the people and bring Malaysia to where it should be heading to." - Mkini
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