How did the UndiMsia! flagship GameShop, “IdolaDemokrasi” (truncated version), #JelajahSebaranCinta at Balik Pulau go? Imagine casting your net far and wide, then slowly trawling in the net to see the fish jumping inside. Imagine.
I was just a follower of UndiMsia! on Twitter but did not know exactly what the hell these youths were trying to do. They talked a lot and I was thinking – are they going to just talk with no action (NATO) like most of our leaders? Being a senior citizen, I had my reservations of what they could really do, because during my time I was told to talk less and work hard.
One day, I received an e-mail informing that UndiMsia! would be coming to Balik Pulau at Penang. Wow! So, they were walking the talk after all. I thought that I must attend to see for myself exactly what UndiMsia! is all about. I thought I’d skip the usual musical entertainment and the promotion of their merchandise like t-shirts, pins, books etc and go straight to the GameShop. Nonetheless, the merchandise did nonetheless tempt me and burnt a hole in my pocket.
This GameShop really surprised me how youths of today are so robust, can skillfully articulate themselves and how all of them can adapt so easily. From my point of view, this GameShop is a better version of the workshop-type of discussion or project seminar. The methodology is applicable to just about anywhere, such as in your workplace or business. It can be expanded or contracted depending on what you want to achieve.
Since UndiMsia! is about voting, this GameShop zeroed into our structure and system of democracy that forms and holds the nation. The workshop was all about interactive questions and answers, and gave a big picture analysis of the importance of our role as citizens of Malaysia. The questions posed to the participants had little to do with right or wrong answers. The intention was to let participants see the general structure of different institutions; how they co-relate from the top-down and the effect the same had on us as Malaysians, the general public. Although you may be a little confused in the beginning – perhaps that was the purpose – and would be waiting for the ‘right answers’, no right answers were forthcoming. It will be YOU who would hold the right answer. At the end of it, you will be able to see clearly why voting is important, and why citizen action through social democratic movements is essential. The mechanism of this particular GameShop is like casting your net far and wide, then slowly trawling in the net to see the fish jumping inside.
The second part of the GameShop is to break up the participants into small groups. Each group would have to come up with three local problems and make suggestions to resolve them. The groups were given a timeframe to complete the task after which each group would appoint a person from the group to present them to all the participants. This is the part where I see the youths today being very matured in their thinking and the presentations. Malaysians are wondering why the voting age cannot be lowered to eighteen as it is the average age of youths.
My explanation may be a little vague and difficult to understand, but that is the whole point! You need to attend the GameShop to grasp the whole picture. It may have been a truncated one for Balik Pulau as time was short, but I understand the GameShop is being refined as you are reading this. One thing you must know is that the UndiMsia! GameShop neither tells nor advises you which political party to vote, but opens up a host of different scenarios with reasons showing how activism and voting are your personal rights, and the importance of those rights.
For more photos of #JelajahSebaranCinta held across KL, Selangor and Penang on the weekend of 29.9-2.10, see here. Move with UndiMsia! by joining #UndiMsia!Chats every Saturday, 11am-12pm @PusatRakyatLB, and invite UndiMsia! to run a GameShop in your community by emailing [email protected]
