Umno Youth Parliament in the making?

I first learned about the existence of Youth Parliament Malaysia from a former student who was highly interested and passionate about being part of the programme and who eventually became a candidate.

Although he did not win in the end, I trust he would have benefited from the process of needing to “market” himself to gain votes.

While I give my full support to such initiatives, I must admit I did not pay much attention to it until the latest critiques about a letter allegedly signed by a senior private secretary to a member of the Youth Parliament and the car emblem that had gone viral in the social media.

Their immature attitude has made the Youth Parliament a laughing stock.

Both issues have been strongly criticised by netizens, with many saying that the Youth Parliament representatives have already acted like “real” politicians before the session commences.

These acts are enough to tarnish the image and credibility of the Youth Parliament.

Although the Malaysian Youth Parliament secretariat clarified that they did not issue the car emblem and do not encourage their Youth Parliament members to use it, it seems like some of the members are using the platforms to flaunt their positions and so-called rankings.

What is the purpose of the Youth Parliament, really?

The idea to establish Youth Parliament Malaysia is a good idea. Sad to say, as usual, we have once again failed to conduct proper planning and assessment before implementing a programme.

The programme has the potential for a positive impact on Malaysian youth, but only if it is carried out with more comprehensive planning.

Prior to these issues spreading all over the Internet, the programme suffered from several issues. For example, the nomination and polling dates were postponed due to technical glitches on its website.

As spelled out in its website, Youth Parliament Malaysia is a platform for youths to speak out, addressing youth-related issues, giving youths early exposure to being involved in a democratic parliamentary system and acting as a youth intermediating body with the government.

Youth Parliament Malaysia was one of the initiatives that came from the youth development review in 2010.

Similar to other existing youth parliaments around the world, Youth Parliament Malaysia aims to provide opportunities to youth who do not belong to any organisation, and to give them a platform to express their views on current issues. It is also a good platform for youth empowerment.

The Youth Parliament was among many initiatives by the government to mould future leaders.

Having said this, the controversies surround the Youth Parliament is something about which we should be concerned as to some extent it reflects the “potential leaders” among the generation Y.

Having created an account in the portal, I had the opportunity to take a quick glance at the candidates prior to their elections. Based on my observation, the majority of candidates in all states are Malays.

This was one of the main reasons for the delay of Youth Parliament sittings last year: because there was a lack of accurate youth representation from the 222 parliamentary constituencies in the country.

The latest statistics show that 90% of the Youth Parliament is made up of Malay males.

That shows the lack of comprehensive support from Malaysian youth, which mainly arises due to the lack of awareness on the Youth Parliament programme.

The political divide between pro-government and pro-opposition youth supporters is another contributing factor towards the lack of participation from non-Malays.

Then the question surfaces: are we having an Umno Youth Parliament in the making?

The Youth Parliament is an initiative that should be fully supported by us, but many concerns remain to be addressed.

It is hoped that the initiative does not stay as merely a programme as it is important as a channel for youths to set the direction of the country.

It is a great idea, but it should not be politicised.

To do so, we must first do away with our master-client relationship style of politics.

If the aim of the Youth Parliament is to allow the young generation to have a voice, then their rights should be respected without restrictions.

The future of Malaysia depends very much on how successful an egalitarian relationship can be fostered.

Youths are reflection of our future. Hence, it is really time for us to progress in accordance with the needs of the times. – December 22, 2014.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.