Forum: Young Malaysians steadfast in their political beliefs

Malaysian youths are steadfast and hold strong opinions with regards to current happenings in Malaysia.

No backseats were taken by them, especially the Gen-Ys who participated in the King’s Discourse Forum, a frank dialogue session held on Sept 6, in expressing their voices on the current Malaysian political upheavals.

Organised by the King’s College London Alumni Malaysia's (KCLAM), the platform witnessed many curious minds discussing issues pertaining to the controversial Sedition Act, freedom of expression and good governance, among others.

In the videos below, participants can be seen actively engaging in thought-provoking dialogues by fervently putting across their firm opinions.

'Youth Parliament for Malaysia'

It was evident that the youths spoke straight to the point, without fear or favour.

For example, good governance has become a vital concern among young Malaysians and they could no longer be swayed by racial sentiments or cheap housing loans.

When speaking on the topic, DAP Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh said among the things which are more important to the current generation is good governance and greater representation in the government.

'Good governance'

Compared to past generations, the current generation, who will make up a bigger portion of the voter population in years to come, definitely has a different set of beliefs.

The previous generations' political alignment must have been influenced either during Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj’s proclamation of independence, or during the 1998 fallout between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s, said UMNO Youth exco Shahril Hamdan.

He said, the Gen-Y did not share the views of the older generation because the latter's political awakening came in light of the troubles that brewed between Dr Mahathir and Anwar in 1998.

It is observed that a young politician like Shahril, whose political compass was shaped by the political tsunami of the 12th General Election, definitely holds a different belief system.

'Voter demographics'

The recent charges on the University of Malaya law lecturer Azmi Sharom, for allegedly implying seditious remarks on the 2009 Perak crisis, and the recent detainment of a journalist for sedition that stirred up controversies, were also heavily contested in the forum.

It was discussed that the fear of being charged with sedition would continuously loom over any responsible citizen who wishes to question the government that he or she has elected.

'Let's get real'

People would now refrain from saying anything and this could not be a good indicator for a nation to progress as people are entitled to free speech in a democracy, implied Andrew Khoo, the co-chairman of the Malaysian Bar Council's Human Rights Committee (alumni).

'Andrew Khoo - 1st question'

'Andrew Khoo - 2nd question'

"Allow people to speak even when you disagree with them. Do not simply suspend them because you don’t like them. That is free speech," said Sherrinder Kaur, an intern at Lawyers for Liberty who was excited to see youths from the forum not being afraid to question and express opinions.

Another participant, Archanaa Suntharalingam, who will be flying off to United States to pursue her studies in political science, said, "Honestly, the conclusion I reached is everyone agreed to disagree."

KCLAM, the very first alumni community in Malaysia, had put up a commendable stage for Malaysians to frankly engage in matters of national interest.

The King’s Discourse Forum had set a yardstick for all alumni communities to make full use of available resources to create a platform for national discourse.

The clock is ticking, and with only six years left for Malaysia to achieve Vision 2020, the goal of becoming a fully developed nation has also been reassessed to see how far as a nation Malaysia has progressed.

What sort of promises have been delivered and the shortcomings identified over the years were among other major issues of contention in the King’s Discourse Forum, which saw a participation of about 400 individuals.

Among the notable line-up of speakers present included Performance Management Delivery Unit (Pemandu) CEO Datuk Sri Idris Jala, UEM Group Berhad chairman Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Tajuddin Ali, Malaysian Oil Scientists' and Technologists' Association president Tan Sri Datuk Dr Augustine Ong, and TalentCorp CEO Johan Mahmood Merican.