Young voters demand ‘meaningful change’

 

With Undi18 and automatic voter registration in effect, there are an estimated 6.23 million new voters on the roll for Saturday’s polls.

PETALING JAYA: With polling day around the corner, young voters have voiced a demand for meaningful change in the governance of the country, with education, the standard of living, and employment topping their list of concerns.

Fahtiha Nasarudin, 21, said youths do not merely want one-off assistance from the government “only to be forgotten later”.

“We want systemic change that will serve us, the rakyat, in the long term,” she told FMT.

Nicholas Yap said he would favour a party that puts the interest of the public first when proposing policies.

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Excited at voting for the first time, he said the country needs long-term policies rather than “piecemeal policies that have proven time and again to have no impact”.

Pointing out that youths are more exposed to issues beyond where they lived, Leong, a student at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, said young voters want a more progressive government that makes inclusive policies.

“I am going back to vote (in the Peninsula) because I want to see change. No matter who wins, I will at least have exercised my right to have a say in the development of my country,” he said.

Tashnee Lockley-Thanda, 22, said she is more excited to see the outcome of the polls rather than the process of elections.

Law student Shasswitha, 20, said she is ready to vote, having done her research. “If young voters choose the right party and candidates, maybe the political instability in the country can be alleviated,” she said.

First-time voter Syamim Noor Amran, 21, said Malaysia is facing difficulties and needs a strong government.

She urged young voters to exercise their right to pick the next government. “It’s a shame if we don’t vote,” she said.

Doctorate student Asyrul Izhar Abu Bakar sees young voters as the “kingmakers” in the elections, saying political parties have started to acknowledge the power of the youth.

With the lowering of the voting age to 18, and automatic voter registration in effect, there are an estimated 6.23 million new voters in the general election. - FMT