Empowering the Youth | Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mendung
Empowering the Youth | Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mendung
Empowering the Youth | Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mendung

The call for youth empowerment in Malaysia is as deafening as ever!

A reason why I started the ‘The Malaysian Outsider’ is for aspiring Malaysian youth to express more freely in a formidable force, proving stereotypes wrong in this blissful country of multi-ethinicity. Our generation could not afford to lose this privilege of borderless world in voicing out their concerns.  In fact now is the time for all concerning citizens to work together in wisely differentiating the rights and wrongs of society.

I’m equally saddened by how biased the media is in our country; be it for pro-government or opposition. In the name of democracy, media plays a pivotal role to convey the truth be how bitter it can be rather than overshadowing the mindsets of majority with propagandas of any. Politics are too dominant that youth nowadays are losing interest to care about critical issues affecting our country as a whole. Throughout my experience back in high school, students aren’t allowed to discuss on certain aspects of concerns but to focus solely on academics while critical thinking is only left to answering essay questions. I have on rare occasions been advised not to be too ‘vocal’ for the fear of ISA detainment, how sad can anything else be when a high school student is refrained from voicing out opinions by educators themselves?

My personal conscience is shared by few others whose interest is not mainstreamed as accordingly by this fine infiltration, hence I decided to gather as many of them and join forces to empower more youth out there on a variety of life’s circumstances that are in need of a second thought. Even then, I’ll have to admit it’s not an easy task encouraging the already cocooned mindset to actually have a say on anything concerning our multi-racial community. Somebody has got to be there championing the needs of a better future as there are a lot more to be addressed, particularly from the perspective of youth themselves.

I’m lauding Prime Minister Najib’s concocted effort of 1Malaysia to promote racial unity – putting aside his extensive media coverage on the essence of his intentions, racial unity is deteriorating if not at worst of recent times. If we may narrow our scope of discussion to racial integrity in education, flaws can obviously be seen right from its every beginning where children are already divided into race and religion; unabling some (if not many) to comprehend the gist of unity. I believe Malaysia is among the few (if not the only one) to favor one race over another for university placement which is another stumbling block to Malaysia’s youth empowerment for the lack of understanding and oblivion of ‘Malaysia for all’.

Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ntlam
Young generation need to embrace the gist of unity since young | Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ntlam

Why is there a need to stress on racial survival when it’s already made clear that we’re all Malaysians for a good half-century?

Why are people still in fear of losing Malaysia to the ‘non-deservings’ even if the system itself is flawed in many ways?

Why can’t we unite and consider ourselves as Malaysians rather than restricting ourselves to superiority of one?

It’s inevitable for more to break free and realise the importance of youth empowerment in bringing changes, but how soon can that be achieved remains unanswerable. We’re in a difficult phase of upstaging the conventional method of educating to inculcate a sense of love and awareness for our country. In fact, even History textbooks of Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka are politically-inclined in some aspects of elaborations. Unless one is a prominent public figure to insinuate positive energy to our much ignorant younger generation, the future looks bleak without activists constantly voicing out loud be it with any means.

Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/supaztyler/
Fahmi Reza has been phenomenal with his "10 Tahun Sebelum Merdeka" & "Student Power" | Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/supaztyler/

One fine example is Fahmi Reza who tirelessly gave out lectures in public and private institutions on how students too can make a difference with proper planning and outline of ideas in every possible way there is; as how my fellow LoyarBurokkers are doing by jotting down anything necessary for the public to be informed of.

Despite all the effort, the need for youth empowerment can’t still be manifested in the majority of younger generation. There are the few who think Malaysia is a haven for non-Bumis thus implying the need of ‘being grateful for what they have’. Racial tension is still not a problem of the past when racist slurs and insults are still hurled at without shame to the spirit of togetherness. If educated leading figures can afford to utter such statements degrading another in public’s eyes, what more our youth who’s gullible with sentiments especially after being spoon-fed with political propagandas since the early days of school?

I’ve always thought it’d be a dream come true if more concerned youth can join the bandwagon and together we strive for a better future; by making our voices be heard as one despite the young age! Nothing is too late or too early as long as our intentions are for the good of all! One Malay proverb “kecil kecil cili api” is ‘spicy’ enough for anyone to get a bite on regardless of who you may be.

Hafidzi Razali is a rookie first-timer on Loyarburok.com! He probably suits best as the baby monkey of Loyarburok; being a 19-year old first-year Law student (like, who else can beat that!). He set up The Malaysian Outsider’ for youth empowerment & to increase awareness among Malaysian youth.

He probably suits best as the baby monkey of Loyarburok; being a 19-year old first-year Law student (like, who else can beat that!). He set up ‘The Malaysian Outsider’ (myrumbles.wordpress.com) for...

12 replies on “The Need for Youth Empowerment in Malaysia”

  1. Heh pls, fire away with all the acid dripping from a razor sharp tongue, I think I've seen and currently experienced the worst mankind has had to offer, mentally in any case . . . and all the way into the world of dreams.

    I could just pull up one of those essay sized comments and clean it up abit for submission. Heck even call it your own, so long as no copyright is applied so that I can use it later! Try this one for reposting here if it's not to anti-Pakatan for Loyar Burok :

    http://apanama2020.blogspot.com/2010/11/daps-demo… (8.4% for PKR, 0.002% for EXCO Penang elections – totally failed quorum 66.6% pls . . . )

    I still stress, everyone (who's not been destroyed like some of us) should try running for candidacy merely to end APARTHEID or at very least (our opposition MPs can't even do it but would actually collude with BN to entitle their families to a 750K funeral at the tax[payer's expense – good work Mohd Ghani) reduce the 15,000 candidate's deposit to 15.00 (or 1 month's salary of the person running for candidacy).

    We can really do no worse, with the rubbish MPs in BN or PR as of now. Cynical bunch of subverts posing as good guys should get out there all privileged and stuff to make a difference. Neurotech too scary?

  2. Hello, Agree To Disagree.

    I shall refrain from replying to your comment, but I will say this – when is YOUR turn to write for LoyarBurok, Agree To Disagree? You are after all the resident 'commenter' of the site ;)

  3. @Derek Kok

    " but I am very sure that our SPM essays did not require ANY critical thinking at all. "

    Actually it's just as bad in Singapore and the rest of Asia as well. There was a Verbal Component of a Language examination, in Singapore and the invigilator was insistent that my reading and response to the passage to be read and discussed be simplified.

    This may have been a method by which critical thinking itself was downplayed and discouraged. In class at any level, the daily indoctrination goes on.

    The unwritten motto of don't ask, don't think, compounded by OLDER persons posing as students to 'dominate' the classroom with, or begin jeering free thought away when we 'step out of line', we realise that imprisonment and subjugation begins at your public school where followership and not leadership is taught. Later in society-politics as well, to the extent of staging public murder of defenseless animals to push their sick mentalities on everyone, in a display of their own insanity at the taxpayer's expense no less (alongside malicious compliance and nepotism, political oligarchy etc..). Back to youth empowerment.

    @Hafidzi Razali

    Don't just type an article, make it REAL. Endorse EQUALITY and liberalisation of at least Malaysia's constitution and system.

    Youth Empowerment? This begins with the questioning mind and courage to express dissent, against an authoritarian (and increasingly feminist???) education method. And the nature of education is already severely compromised. It took some people decades to figure it out. Public schools and even some private schools are now places where critical thinking and leadership is REMOVED, rather than taught.

    This happens via neurolinguistic programming, Military style Uniformed groups, groupthink activities of all sorts (try band for instance the quality and nature of the conductor and the lead players, determines what happens to the instrumentalists – so beware and judge the band you join), and ultimately the inculpation of mental attitudes of teachers that themselves are part of the same systematic abuse of Youth Empowerment.

    So racists, pls don't even think APARTHEID works in this day and age. And nepotists, we will not tolerate your sequestration of power. Youth empowerment can only occur when people recognize that social power in politics sets the tone, and that removal of oligarchs and removal of bad legislators, removal of abusive/malicious complaint MPs and Assemblymen, removal of apartheid political parties, removal of religion favouring to the point of inequality or suppression of expression political parties, are the foundation to ensure Youth Empowerment.

    As lawyers who are viable candidates and some with sufficient wealth as well, to not act and displace or run against all of the above examples of failed persons, is disempowering to youth, and sets a bad example of sloth and selfishness or even fear and acceptance of failures (as Bar Council's fee structure in raising 400% fees rather than a percentage-of-salary based charges paradigm, or the lack of initiative of MPs to demand lowering of election deposits to allow all and sundry to participate or run in elections, or even the lack of initiative to preserve the non-offending Sultans' Immunities when they were removed) is shown.

    The apathy and inaction and fightbacks against those who try to foster Youth Empowerment or Right of Dissent, is shocking (everyone knows whats going on), and so far other than a few high minded words dropped in the occasional article probably in hopes of high praise or to feel better about oneself, I see hardly anyone taking up the gauntlet as some of us did but providing more lip service.

    Any who are sincere with the proper qualification and experience, and money, HAVE NO EXCUSE (hell some of us that don't have any still try), and must IMMEDIATELY make plans to stand for election in their own constituency so that the actual followers who are unable to think further than having a choice to tick a box that doesn't say BN or PR are able to 'Empower Youth'.

    Act or be known as complicit in the massive selfish and insane lie that is Malaysia and much of society in the world today. Dr.Darren Hsu? Lim Ka Ea? Various Dato's in the legal fraternity? Any thoughts on this or just more apathy as Malaysia slides into YOUTH DISEMPOWERMENT from lack of examplery persons with Ethos who are familiar with the Logos of what was written here?

    This low minded and stagnant middle class mindedness (unlike the dynamism and self actualisation attempting upper strata types), among the wealthy (money sitting idle is worth nothing) and privileged (ethos and decades of reputaion sitting idle is worth nothing) who could very well put an end to 'Youth Disempowerment' has to end.

    A Pathos driven government will destroy the people, so act if what you have obtained at society's te@t has grown you so 'large' if you consider yourself a member of humanity at all, or be damned as one of those who stood by as everyone floundered and regressed into what could be Mankind's (and your own) last chance at redemption and of course Youth Empowerment.

  4. I respectfully submit that a 'well rounded' book on the evolution and pattern of ethnic/race relations during the early colonial days will go a long way towards empowering the younger generation. One work that fulfills this need is entitled "The Naked Social Order: Racial Polarization in Malaysia (Pelanduk 2004)

  5. Great article, and good to know there are similar-minded young people out there who aspire to make a difference :) It's so easy for us to get jaded by the government, the education system, the general mindset and even the people, but it's stuff like these that remind us we need to stay in solidarity soldier on. Just had a look at the Malaysian Outsider for the first time, great job there as well!

  6. Thank you all!

    It's incredulously hard to find youth who's willing to start making a change; even by writing.

    I hope my first article can lead me to more aspiring ones out there to finally start having a say, perhaps by together writing for 'The Malaysian Outsider' or whichever means you may have.

    @derekkok, believe me, critical thinking is 'sometimes' needed. And when I said 'essay questions', I was not referring only to English & BM. Haha that's just a sidekick but you're right Derek, SPM standard questions can be too simple by logic.

  7. "…while critical thinking is only left to answering essay questions."

    I laughed when I read this line. I was a product of the Malaysian education system also, but I am very sure that our SPM essays did not require ANY critical thinking at all.

    But here's to the youth of Malaysia rising up in this nation! Cheers!

  8. Well written and very inspirational. I must say I'm pretty jaded with all the propaganda and bullshit we see on the news everyday. To the extent that I turn a blind eye to it. What can and should we do about this? Students have been brain washed, brought up in a 'cocooned' environment as you've stated. It's time to break free. I hope to contribute in time to come.

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