MALAYSIA'S recent general election drew substantial media coverage both locally and internationally.
Al Jazeera, the Guardian, Reuters and CNN were some of the international media that took interest, particularly due to the participation of the new group of voters aged 18-20.
In some ways, it felt like a global welcome into the ranks of other developed democratic countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Japan that allow those as young as 17 or 18 to vote.
According to the Election Commission, 10.6 million voters between the ages of 18 and 39 were eligible to vote in the 15th General Election, an increase of 23 million voters (approximately 35 per cent) from 15 million voters in the 14th General Election. This group of voters make up one-third of the Malaysian population.
Statistically speaking, this group greatly contributed to the outcome. At this point in time, we are well aware of the election results.
Observations in the Classroom
The youth have the power to shape the country's future more than they realise. They are an interesting group to observe. Whenever I am assigned to teach the Political Communication course, I am generally greeted by one of three types of students at the beginning of the semester:
1) Doe-eyed students who are fearful of failing the course because they have no clue about politics, but must take the course to graduate;
2) Eager beavers who cannot wait to debate their opinions to make Malaysia a better place; and,
3) Those with a lackadaisical attitude towards classes in general, but not necessarily towards politics.
Before getting into interesting topics such as propaganda, speech text analysis, campaigns and decision-making, they have to sit through the history of democracy, definitions and all the fundamentals of the democratic system.
This is when I will see one of three situations: 1) increased interest among those who like structure and memorisation, 2) decreased interest among those who came to debate or 3) maintained levels of disinterest.
Regardless, we persevere through the semester.
I have learnt that many in the doe-eyed students category shy away from politics in the beginning because they had the impression that political engagement, particularly among students, was strictly forbidden.
Their parents prefer that their children steer clear of problems, so they make "politics" a dirty word. Plus, Malaysian politics is too complicated, so why waste mental energy?
They instead choose to do well in their academics and some co-curricular activities with the hope that these alone will be sufficient for securing a good future post-graduation.
There is a possibility that these young graduates may succeed in finding a job, but there are other factors that contribute towards a meaningful and enriching life, such as civic and social responsibilities, economic stability and public welfare.
Empowerment is Key
Youth yearn to be empowered. Just like everyone else, they want to feel heard and that their opinions matter.
Thanks to Undi18, which lowered the minimum voting age from 21 to 18, undergraduate students can now actively participate in our country's democratic process.
In general, I can attest that many feel this is good for many reasons.
For instance, some undergraduate students have undertaken adult responsibilities such as working part-time to financially support themselves and their families, some do volunteer work in communities and some run small businesses. Since they contribute to the nation in one way or another, it is only fair that their concerns are adequately addressed.
Many also worry about their education fees, employment and healthcare — all of which can be remedied if they are willing to put their values into motion and overturn previous decisions that were not in their favour.
Formal and Informal Education
Ahead of the 15th General Election, the Higher Education Ministry undertook the responsibility of educating young voters at higher education institutions.
The ministry has 1.2 million students under its purview. Of this, 452,559 students, or 38 per cent, are aged between 18 and 20 and are eligible to vote for the first time.
The ministry played its role in educating young voters. Through collaborations with various parties, such as the Election Commission and the Academy of Elections, they organised programmes to inculcate awareness of the country's ruling system and the ways voting contributes to the formation of a democratic government.
Collaborative partnerships with the Department of National Unity and Integration and the Department of Information Services were also forged to conduct activities through the Rukun Negara clubs established at higher education institutions.
Alongside these formal programmes to educate young voters, it is also important to acknowledge that much of education is informal and obtained through social media.
Political parties and candidates used TikTok, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to push their agendas.
In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, there is little to no excuse for not knowing anything about political parties or candidates. Unstructured and haphazard as the online platforms may be, they do not fall short in terms of information dissemination.
Social media can be as much a friend as it is a foe during election campaigns. False information, slander and provocation are featured dominantly on social media.
In such instances, media literacy which involves critical thinking should feature strongly when consuming the news. While we provide this knowledge and skill at higher education institutions, they are still at the infancy stage and have much room for improvement.
Human Elements
We all would like election decisions to be made intellectually instead of emotionally, but we are only human. Provocative information can incite fear, anger and resentment, which affects decision-making. Human elements and effects are unavoidable in any communication process.
Educators are working hard in teaching students at higher education institutions how to think and we are vigilantly cultivating awareness. It is also constructive to note that such education should not begin at higher education institutions — it should begin at a younger age at home.
Some may be happy with the election outcomes, some sad and some indifferent. But democracy is a messy process, bearing in mind that most parts of the outcome are a reflection of the opinions of voters.
In any case, I look forward to meeting fresh new faces in the Political Communication classes I will teach at Universiti Putra Malaysia. Doe-eyed students, eager beavers and the indifferent are all welcome to learn that in a democracy, there are no wrong votes.
The writer is a guest writer for the Higher Education Ministry and is from the Department of Communication, Faculty of Modern Languages and Communication at Universiti Putra Malaysia