Maira black was elected in the UK
Parliament at the age of twenty years
old
Briscoe via Allen at was elected in the
Ugandan Parliament at the age of 19
years oh we have individuals like Justin
Trudeau people like Emmanuel macron
already taken in as the prime minister
of their respective countries to the age
of 39 years old but while we look at
examples abroad where do we stand as the
youth of Malaysia a weak Rivlin to them
do we respect youth power similarly by
our form for our foreign allies are we
behind them if we look at the youth
development index why the I when it
comes to political participation
Malaysia is ranked 47th out of 51
countries ruefully behind even a
neighboring partners like Indonesia
Singapore Thailand even Cambodia but it
doesn’t stop there while they have the
miry blacks Justin Trudeau even in the
Malaysian Parliament today we only have
9 percent becomes the representation of
young people and mine in Malaysia youth
the category of youth is not below 20 or
it’s not below 25 like other countries
below 40 years old and even then
representation is only at a miserable
nine percent what has happened will we
like this before in the 1960s 1970s or
is this a new phenomenon and in my talk
today I like to focus on that I like to
focus on the challenges which young
people face and what can be done to
overcome those challenges to ensure that
the voices of young people that the
youth power will be embedded in the
fundamental moral fabric of our beloved
nation is to ensure that we will no
longer sit behind our foreign allies
that we will no longer just be able to
look up to people like Justin Trudeau
Emmanuel macron miry black but we have
those very versions in our country back
and more in numbers and that will be the
focus of today’s speech so I like to
start off by reflecting on the
challenges and while I reflect on the
challenges I’ll also briefly share about
my personal experiences when I got into
politics the first and most important
challenge which we must overcome as a
collective is youth apathy and I’m sure
all of us would have heard this mister
before the most recent compilation by
done by medical center showed that more
than 60% of young people couldn’t care
about politics and I’d like to focus on
a lot of other issues more depressingly
two-thirds of young people below the age
of thirty years old have yet to register
as voters the most basic fundamental
freedom given to us as citizens of
Malaysia and some extent we cannot
simply blame the youth we can’t simply
point to them and say you are ignorant
you choose to remain this way and as a
consequence you will forever remain in
this vicious cycle at time for you to
reflect what’s the reason behind it what
caused them to be driven down in that
very tunnel times it’s because of the
visions which exist in our nation but
also because of the structural reason
which precludes young people from
entering political structures so that
they can represent themselves and speak
for themselves and not just delegate
that power to other people or towards
the older generation and I remember this
I remember when I first started entering
the world of politics when I was 19
years old and I selected into the Padano
fellowship program is an internship
program where 40 youth of Malaysia will
be placed under different ministers and
I remember when I was in that program I
focused a lot more research work I
worked in a think tank before why I
wrote a paper on East Lahaina am know is
calling reforming I’m know from within
at the same time wrote about reforming
political Islam in Malaysia and while
allow papers were wrote despite the fact
the u2 unique connections I’m able to
for these people these papers to be read
by those in government and those in the
top echelons of governance in and
they’ll come back to me and they’ll say
despite all of this might be curette
eclis correct but what’s the purpose if
we implement all of this but in the end
young people still choose not to vote
their voices are still not heard the
demands will not be taken into
consideration when we ourselves do not
take up the fundamental role and
responsibility to represent ourselves
and making ourselves through the very
basic voting process but that’s just one
of the problems which is on youth apathy
but the second one is something which is
very close to my heart something which I
faced from before up to today but
something we still gives me hope or at
least the the push to continue which is
the belittling of youth power within
existing political structures I think
we’ve all heard this before
it cannot pecan up muscle sorry why do
you wanna enter politics you’re too
young you’re so young do something else
join the corporate sector focus on your
job before this I think be a researcher
join a think-tank get rich and then
after that only then you join politics
it sounds like an ideal solution but in
reality it is not the point in which
young people from the start are already
labeled as empty cans as people who are
in who are unable to speak the truth to
critically assess a particularly
important national issue signals the
depression of intellect in the country
because it effectively says that young
people cannot do cannot discuss it can
only be can have dialogues about
important national issues so to show an
example when I got when me and a few
others decided to co-found a political
party even at the beginning I remember
when I was made one of the cofounders
and we were and I was fighting like hell
to ensure that the youth age will be
reduced to 35 yrs all to put term limits
which will ensure that there is a
continuous refreshening of powers
just everytime propose this will be some
oyster sauce a scientist Alan politic up
in Poplar town I’ve been in politics for
more than forty years what do you know
and it’s the most common response I
received even by some of those who are
perceived as my allies what more I don’t
know
bring my best mate mutual responsibility
exist in both spectrums in both sides
where it is a problem however if we
merely bow down to that belief if we
don’t come up in numbers let me showing
that young people care and one for that
change we will never be able to get it
and we did get it in the end how when
I’m able to show when just have a very
open selection we have a CV selection
process of picking leaders when we got
more than ten thousand and we pull all
of them and vast majority say that we
want for the youth age to be limited
thirty-five is only one term limits we
want to ensure that more women are given
positions in the top leadership when
that happened and when you come in
numbers those things will be heard
therefore it is a self-fulfilling
prophecy if we choose to remain
apathetic if we choose to remain outside
of the structures of power in the end it
will be those who do not represent our
viewpoints who do not speak for us who
might be of a completely different
generation who will end up representing
our voices and only when it is truly
will we realize that our omission that
our inaction has led to a terrible
situation which none of us wanted
the final part of my speech I like to
focus on the solutions supposed to have
a time with anyone timing okay just
think no please be signal cool so there
are three things I like to forward here
the first in the most basic one is
reforming our very briefly out with the
law which restricts mass this one or
under graduates like yourself to speak
up debate have dialogues about important
national issues in universities I know
that because I’ve been a victim of that
as well when I started speaking up doing
my final year in university I was not
allowed to teach debates anymore not
only in my beloved University but in
other public universities my job as a
part-time lecturer was taken away
however you Amy it’s fine but my
students as well who are also debaters
literally three days before they were
about to fly to the United States to
represent Malaysia then they were that
trip was canceled because of their
proximity with me we signals a problem
there but let’s reminisce to where
Malaysia stood before in the 1960’s and
1970’s we were never like this on every
tree at least 20% of youth Parliament’s
or member Parliament’s in a youth age
category there were at least three
ministers of chief ministers below 35
940 35 years old and there a lot from
that Austria from both sides that
Austrian Ibraham
Ibrahim Ali shahe MIDI tune doctor
Mahadi
Rahim Tommy cheek country rice yeah team
I can name so many even dato Sri Najib
Raja was elected as a parliamentarian at
the age of 23 years old became a chief
minister the age of 28 – 28 29 years old
you know the youngest minister in
Malaysia today is only 41 years old the
youngest
that gap and I believe that gap happened
because how cool was introduced because
back then youth leaders critical
thinkers could use University is a
platform for them to discuss on
important issues that in the end the our
voices will be heard and the following
which they have will in the end lead to
national leaders taking their views into
account but we are here today when we
say in high school just focus on your
SPF in universities focus on your
studies don’t care about politics once
you exit university focus on building
your career for the next 5 10 15 years
and only after that when you are 40 is
all if you still care about all the
things will you enter and that’s a
structural problem and becomes a cycle
as the H goes bigger and bigger and
bigger
we need to change that the second part
which we need to change is to ensure
that more young people are pushed in the
front line of politics and it is a lie
it is a categorical lie if they are
those who tell you that if you care
about national issues your academies
will suffer
I remember hearing this at the beginning
of my parents say that to me
no but knows the same reason given to me
when I wanted to debate whether to focus
a lot of my time engaging debates right
you travel a lot across the wall but
while I debate why I care about national
issues my Academy
back at home did not slide down in state
got better I’d have to talk about my
Academy treatments and where that’s
gotten me to I’ll show you a few
examples besides me Daniel I’d remind my
senior who was one of the best debaters
in Malaysia and Asia who ended up
getting to Oxford University and I
believe that it is this very experiences
which allow us to get into this
respective universities it is alive if
the are those who tell you that
academics is the be-all and end-all and
you should know everything else
and then what do we forward there once
you push more young people into the
limelight
that’s when young people will see
politics is not only a sports dominated
by the politically and we’ve seen that
changed especially in some political
parties again I don’t mention names you
can read up about it for example one
particular site has three times more
Youth Parliament trips than one
particular site and you look the reason
behind why you support increased for one
particular site is because of the number
of young people propel in the public
limelight because they represent the
voices the youth they no longer just see
that well an old person represent and
young people simply do not matter your
voices can be represented by other
generations but I think that has to
change but in order for that change to
happen we need a lot more critical
thinkers thought leaders in your
respective community university leaders
to speak up build your own rapport
build your own reputation build your own
support base to ensure that no matter
which site you pick it doesn’t matter
where there’s a government opposition
that force it does not matter but once
your views are taken into serious
consideration when you start speaking up
when you start building the support once
you start gaining the meaningful
experience of caring about national
issues
from young and fighting about it because
you believe in it in the end which ever
site you like to enter they will go for
you and we can yeah I don’t have to use
my example use past examples that was
three NY by him he built his rapport in
university as a student leader under him
and in the end past unknown all
political parties were aiming to get him
because of the support with support base
which he built from young but that
should be the aim for young people today
you have your ideals and I’m not here to
say that one-party ideals is better than
the other
every
everyone’s views should be respected and
I will respect that but I really hope
that at least your views will be at will
be expressed and you ensure that those
very views will not just be kept to
yourself but will be forwarded and
accepted in a political environment
which is youth friendly it may be
difficult at the beginning maybe there
will be those who will Jill boo and will
label you as an empty can or as a person
who can’t do much but those are
challenges which we must confront as a
collective Gen X sorry Gen Y and Gen Z
as a collective holds more than 50% of
the population our collective voice on
minimal takes up 30% of the voter base
in Malaysia in the last election only a
5% swing to any site can be the
determinant of winning and losing it is
a lie if someone out there tells you
that your voice does not matter it does
every single voice matter every single
vote counts every single Facebook
Twitter Instagram post about a national
issue matters you have the power you
empower to do so and if we as a
collective regardless of our political
beliefs staying united as one no matter
which party we enter no matter which
political framework ideology we assume
absolutely no political party can ignore
and discard the voices of the youth and
from there on what we will see the
complete rejuvenation and recalibration
of our political cycle which will be a
lot more you friendly and I’m very sure
that each and every one of us in this
room have our very own customized
version of that Malaysian dream
the Malaysian dream which can which
simply cannot ignore the voices of young
people as it is a an inclusive dream a
dream
the future which helps each and every
single Malaysian regardless of race and
religion I chose this dream and I chose
this path to craft my very own Malaysian
dream may be difficult
at the beginning there must be necessary
sacrifices which must be made I did true
job Academy opportunities or job
opportunities however I know at the end
that the very reason why I stepped foot
into this field is to ensure that
whatever objectives or dream I have can
be realized and actualized
in a short time span some will say that
politics is like a marathon I disagree I
want to see changes taking place as
quickly as possible
because I do not want my Malaysia dream
to be delayed and my dream very briefly
I know maybe a lot of a share the very
same dream despite we may use different
routes is to ensure that each and every
single young person’s voice will be
taken to account that University
students regardless when this public or
private will be listened to so their
education good quality education is
given to each and every single Malaysian
regardless of race and religion to
ensure that job security and high pay is
attained but most importantly is to
ensure that I will be able to give a
Malaysia back not only for my generation
for the future generation and no matter
how much pain and suffering we have to
go true as long as our eyes are focused
and dedicated on that very dream on the
construction of that dream it will be
worth it let us not forget that this is
not only my Malaysia your Malaysia this
is our Malaysia forever together thank
you very much
Parliament at the age of twenty years
old
Briscoe via Allen at was elected in the
Ugandan Parliament at the age of 19
years oh we have individuals like Justin
Trudeau people like Emmanuel macron
already taken in as the prime minister
of their respective countries to the age
of 39 years old but while we look at
examples abroad where do we stand as the
youth of Malaysia a weak Rivlin to them
do we respect youth power similarly by
our form for our foreign allies are we
behind them if we look at the youth
development index why the I when it
comes to political participation
Malaysia is ranked 47th out of 51
countries ruefully behind even a
neighboring partners like Indonesia
Singapore Thailand even Cambodia but it
doesn’t stop there while they have the
miry blacks Justin Trudeau even in the
Malaysian Parliament today we only have
9 percent becomes the representation of
young people and mine in Malaysia youth
the category of youth is not below 20 or
it’s not below 25 like other countries
below 40 years old and even then
representation is only at a miserable
nine percent what has happened will we
like this before in the 1960s 1970s or
is this a new phenomenon and in my talk
today I like to focus on that I like to
focus on the challenges which young
people face and what can be done to
overcome those challenges to ensure that
the voices of young people that the
youth power will be embedded in the
fundamental moral fabric of our beloved
nation is to ensure that we will no
longer sit behind our foreign allies
that we will no longer just be able to
look up to people like Justin Trudeau
Emmanuel macron miry black but we have
those very versions in our country back
and more in numbers and that will be the
focus of today’s speech so I like to
start off by reflecting on the
challenges and while I reflect on the
challenges I’ll also briefly share about
my personal experiences when I got into
politics the first and most important
challenge which we must overcome as a
collective is youth apathy and I’m sure
all of us would have heard this mister
before the most recent compilation by
done by medical center showed that more
than 60% of young people couldn’t care
about politics and I’d like to focus on
a lot of other issues more depressingly
two-thirds of young people below the age
of thirty years old have yet to register
as voters the most basic fundamental
freedom given to us as citizens of
Malaysia and some extent we cannot
simply blame the youth we can’t simply
point to them and say you are ignorant
you choose to remain this way and as a
consequence you will forever remain in
this vicious cycle at time for you to
reflect what’s the reason behind it what
caused them to be driven down in that
very tunnel times it’s because of the
visions which exist in our nation but
also because of the structural reason
which precludes young people from
entering political structures so that
they can represent themselves and speak
for themselves and not just delegate
that power to other people or towards
the older generation and I remember this
I remember when I first started entering
the world of politics when I was 19
years old and I selected into the Padano
fellowship program is an internship
program where 40 youth of Malaysia will
be placed under different ministers and
I remember when I was in that program I
focused a lot more research work I
worked in a think tank before why I
wrote a paper on East Lahaina am know is
calling reforming I’m know from within
at the same time wrote about reforming
political Islam in Malaysia and while
allow papers were wrote despite the fact
the u2 unique connections I’m able to
for these people these papers to be read
by those in government and those in the
top echelons of governance in and
they’ll come back to me and they’ll say
despite all of this might be curette
eclis correct but what’s the purpose if
we implement all of this but in the end
young people still choose not to vote
their voices are still not heard the
demands will not be taken into
consideration when we ourselves do not
take up the fundamental role and
responsibility to represent ourselves
and making ourselves through the very
basic voting process but that’s just one
of the problems which is on youth apathy
but the second one is something which is
very close to my heart something which I
faced from before up to today but
something we still gives me hope or at
least the the push to continue which is
the belittling of youth power within
existing political structures I think
we’ve all heard this before
it cannot pecan up muscle sorry why do
you wanna enter politics you’re too
young you’re so young do something else
join the corporate sector focus on your
job before this I think be a researcher
join a think-tank get rich and then
after that only then you join politics
it sounds like an ideal solution but in
reality it is not the point in which
young people from the start are already
labeled as empty cans as people who are
in who are unable to speak the truth to
critically assess a particularly
important national issue signals the
depression of intellect in the country
because it effectively says that young
people cannot do cannot discuss it can
only be can have dialogues about
important national issues so to show an
example when I got when me and a few
others decided to co-found a political
party even at the beginning I remember
when I was made one of the cofounders
and we were and I was fighting like hell
to ensure that the youth age will be
reduced to 35 yrs all to put term limits
which will ensure that there is a
continuous refreshening of powers
just everytime propose this will be some
oyster sauce a scientist Alan politic up
in Poplar town I’ve been in politics for
more than forty years what do you know
and it’s the most common response I
received even by some of those who are
perceived as my allies what more I don’t
know
bring my best mate mutual responsibility
exist in both spectrums in both sides
where it is a problem however if we
merely bow down to that belief if we
don’t come up in numbers let me showing
that young people care and one for that
change we will never be able to get it
and we did get it in the end how when
I’m able to show when just have a very
open selection we have a CV selection
process of picking leaders when we got
more than ten thousand and we pull all
of them and vast majority say that we
want for the youth age to be limited
thirty-five is only one term limits we
want to ensure that more women are given
positions in the top leadership when
that happened and when you come in
numbers those things will be heard
therefore it is a self-fulfilling
prophecy if we choose to remain
apathetic if we choose to remain outside
of the structures of power in the end it
will be those who do not represent our
viewpoints who do not speak for us who
might be of a completely different
generation who will end up representing
our voices and only when it is truly
will we realize that our omission that
our inaction has led to a terrible
situation which none of us wanted
the final part of my speech I like to
focus on the solutions supposed to have
a time with anyone timing okay just
think no please be signal cool so there
are three things I like to forward here
the first in the most basic one is
reforming our very briefly out with the
law which restricts mass this one or
under graduates like yourself to speak
up debate have dialogues about important
national issues in universities I know
that because I’ve been a victim of that
as well when I started speaking up doing
my final year in university I was not
allowed to teach debates anymore not
only in my beloved University but in
other public universities my job as a
part-time lecturer was taken away
however you Amy it’s fine but my
students as well who are also debaters
literally three days before they were
about to fly to the United States to
represent Malaysia then they were that
trip was canceled because of their
proximity with me we signals a problem
there but let’s reminisce to where
Malaysia stood before in the 1960’s and
1970’s we were never like this on every
tree at least 20% of youth Parliament’s
or member Parliament’s in a youth age
category there were at least three
ministers of chief ministers below 35
940 35 years old and there a lot from
that Austria from both sides that
Austrian Ibraham
Ibrahim Ali shahe MIDI tune doctor
Mahadi
Rahim Tommy cheek country rice yeah team
I can name so many even dato Sri Najib
Raja was elected as a parliamentarian at
the age of 23 years old became a chief
minister the age of 28 – 28 29 years old
you know the youngest minister in
Malaysia today is only 41 years old the
youngest
that gap and I believe that gap happened
because how cool was introduced because
back then youth leaders critical
thinkers could use University is a
platform for them to discuss on
important issues that in the end the our
voices will be heard and the following
which they have will in the end lead to
national leaders taking their views into
account but we are here today when we
say in high school just focus on your
SPF in universities focus on your
studies don’t care about politics once
you exit university focus on building
your career for the next 5 10 15 years
and only after that when you are 40 is
all if you still care about all the
things will you enter and that’s a
structural problem and becomes a cycle
as the H goes bigger and bigger and
bigger
we need to change that the second part
which we need to change is to ensure
that more young people are pushed in the
front line of politics and it is a lie
it is a categorical lie if they are
those who tell you that if you care
about national issues your academies
will suffer
I remember hearing this at the beginning
of my parents say that to me
no but knows the same reason given to me
when I wanted to debate whether to focus
a lot of my time engaging debates right
you travel a lot across the wall but
while I debate why I care about national
issues my Academy
back at home did not slide down in state
got better I’d have to talk about my
Academy treatments and where that’s
gotten me to I’ll show you a few
examples besides me Daniel I’d remind my
senior who was one of the best debaters
in Malaysia and Asia who ended up
getting to Oxford University and I
believe that it is this very experiences
which allow us to get into this
respective universities it is alive if
the are those who tell you that
academics is the be-all and end-all and
you should know everything else
and then what do we forward there once
you push more young people into the
limelight
that’s when young people will see
politics is not only a sports dominated
by the politically and we’ve seen that
changed especially in some political
parties again I don’t mention names you
can read up about it for example one
particular site has three times more
Youth Parliament trips than one
particular site and you look the reason
behind why you support increased for one
particular site is because of the number
of young people propel in the public
limelight because they represent the
voices the youth they no longer just see
that well an old person represent and
young people simply do not matter your
voices can be represented by other
generations but I think that has to
change but in order for that change to
happen we need a lot more critical
thinkers thought leaders in your
respective community university leaders
to speak up build your own rapport
build your own reputation build your own
support base to ensure that no matter
which site you pick it doesn’t matter
where there’s a government opposition
that force it does not matter but once
your views are taken into serious
consideration when you start speaking up
when you start building the support once
you start gaining the meaningful
experience of caring about national
issues
from young and fighting about it because
you believe in it in the end which ever
site you like to enter they will go for
you and we can yeah I don’t have to use
my example use past examples that was
three NY by him he built his rapport in
university as a student leader under him
and in the end past unknown all
political parties were aiming to get him
because of the support with support base
which he built from young but that
should be the aim for young people today
you have your ideals and I’m not here to
say that one-party ideals is better than
the other
every
everyone’s views should be respected and
I will respect that but I really hope
that at least your views will be at will
be expressed and you ensure that those
very views will not just be kept to
yourself but will be forwarded and
accepted in a political environment
which is youth friendly it may be
difficult at the beginning maybe there
will be those who will Jill boo and will
label you as an empty can or as a person
who can’t do much but those are
challenges which we must confront as a
collective Gen X sorry Gen Y and Gen Z
as a collective holds more than 50% of
the population our collective voice on
minimal takes up 30% of the voter base
in Malaysia in the last election only a
5% swing to any site can be the
determinant of winning and losing it is
a lie if someone out there tells you
that your voice does not matter it does
every single voice matter every single
vote counts every single Facebook
Twitter Instagram post about a national
issue matters you have the power you
empower to do so and if we as a
collective regardless of our political
beliefs staying united as one no matter
which party we enter no matter which
political framework ideology we assume
absolutely no political party can ignore
and discard the voices of the youth and
from there on what we will see the
complete rejuvenation and recalibration
of our political cycle which will be a
lot more you friendly and I’m very sure
that each and every one of us in this
room have our very own customized
version of that Malaysian dream
the Malaysian dream which can which
simply cannot ignore the voices of young
people as it is a an inclusive dream a
dream
the future which helps each and every
single Malaysian regardless of race and
religion I chose this dream and I chose
this path to craft my very own Malaysian
dream may be difficult
at the beginning there must be necessary
sacrifices which must be made I did true
job Academy opportunities or job
opportunities however I know at the end
that the very reason why I stepped foot
into this field is to ensure that
whatever objectives or dream I have can
be realized and actualized
in a short time span some will say that
politics is like a marathon I disagree I
want to see changes taking place as
quickly as possible
because I do not want my Malaysia dream
to be delayed and my dream very briefly
I know maybe a lot of a share the very
same dream despite we may use different
routes is to ensure that each and every
single young person’s voice will be
taken to account that University
students regardless when this public or
private will be listened to so their
education good quality education is
given to each and every single Malaysian
regardless of race and religion to
ensure that job security and high pay is
attained but most importantly is to
ensure that I will be able to give a
Malaysia back not only for my generation
for the future generation and no matter
how much pain and suffering we have to
go true as long as our eyes are focused
and dedicated on that very dream on the
construction of that dream it will be
worth it let us not forget that this is
not only my Malaysia your Malaysia this
is our Malaysia forever together thank
you very much
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