AS Malaysia celebrates International Youth Day on Sunday, there is much to rejoice.
The young in this country have made us proud and are steering the nation to a brighter tomorrow.
Malaysia is blessed to have a youth bulge in our demographics.
The National Statistics Department says there are 14.6 million Malaysians aged between 15 and 39,or 45.4 per cent of the population.
This means youth account for a majority of our population, ensuring a stable future for our economy based on a long-lasting workforce and a sizeable market to support our businesses.
All businesses, infrastructure, systems and policies will be supported, used, maintained and executed by our youth for decades to come.
It is these young people who will start businesses, work factories, build homes, take loans, study, become consumers of our goods and services, and be our leaders.
While other countries may have more advanced technology or more national resources, some of them have a problem with their demographics when it comes to a shortage of youth to drive the economy. Some have an ageing population that will require their existing youth to generate enough value for their care.
Some countries encourage their populace to have children to ensure there will be enough people for the next generation of workers and consumers.
While we do have relative quantity, what about quality? Are our youth on a par with young people in the world?
In the United States, young leaders such as Emma Gonzales and David Hogg have shown the way towards social revolution, particularly in gun control.
Listening to them talk, it is easy to marvel at the deft powers of these budding orators who have achieved so much at such a tender age. It also goes to show that young people are resilient in the face of tragedy, perhaps more so than many elders. Their amazing achievements are testament to the education they have received — a key factor in shaping their young minds.
Malaysia has always invested in education, which accounts for over a fifth of the federal budget in recent years.
We are producing professionals in filmmaking, astrophysics, medicine and engineering.
Our young talent is recognised locally and internationally, working with prestigious bodies, such as the United Nations, as well as video game developers and automotive companies.
Game developer Wan Hazmer Wan Abd Halim put Malaysia on the digital map by featuring roti canai, satay and teh tarik in Final Fantasy XV, one of the latest instalments in the globally popular Final Fantasy series.
He is now working on game projects in Malaysia, and hopefully, he will transfer what he has learned from working with video game companies.
Robiah Ibrahim discovered a method to predict lightning strikes on buildings so lightning rods can be placed in optimal locations.
On the entrepreneurial front, Malaysian-based companies powered by youth, such as Grab, are making global waves, acquiring massive foreign investment and even buying over other tech giants.
Malaysia’s youth is one of the busiest and hardest working in the world.
On average, Malaysian workers commit 15 hours more than their contracted hours and more than 56 per cent sleep less than seven hours a night, said a study by AIA Vitality last year.
However, the same study shows this tendency to overwork may decrease productivity.
A new approach in work-life balance and how work is done could increase productivity.
Our youth are willing to work hard.
They are not lazy. Therefore, tweaking their working habits and work-life balance could increase productivity.
It is a fallacy to say this or that generation has stepped up to the plate and is standing up for a better Malaysia, because each generation will eventually step up to the plate and carry this country forward.
All countries, all civilisations are built on the back of youth. However, it must be said that advances in the economy, in all sectors, is due to this current generation of maturing youth.
The World Bank projected Malaysia’s gross domestic product to grow 5.4 per cent this year, up 0.2 per cent from an earlier estimate.
This shows global confidence and recognition of a country that has the most valuable resource: youth. It is vital for youth to realise and embrace their new role as they age further.
PANEL ON PRODUCTIVITY CULTURE
Malaysian Productivity Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Malaysians aged between 15 and 39 years old.