RSIS Seminar by Mr Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Member of Parliament for Setiawangsa, Malaysia
The Youth Factor in Malaysian Politics: Perspectives from Nik Nazmi’s Memoir, Malaysian Son
Abstract
The constitutional amendment ‘Undi18’ (Vote18) will add around 5.8 million new and young voters to participate in Malaysia’s next General Election, a 40 per cent increase from the last election in 2018. However, it is unclear if these changes will lead to significant vote swings. Youth aspirations may reflect existing mainstream attitudes and overall turnout may be suppressed due to fatigue from recent political upheavals and the Covid-19 pandemic shifting priorities to economic concerns.
In his new memoir, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad reflects on his life experiences, and participation and maturation as a youth leader in Malaysian politics for more than two decades. He also focuses on Malaysian youth as a social force in galvanising movements and bringing the Pakatan Harapan government to power in 2018.
This seminar will seek to address the following questions and more:
- What are the formative experiences of Nik Nazmi in Malaysian politics?
- What are the political aspirations and concerns of younger voters today and how do they influence national and party politics? How are they different from the preceding generations?
- How are younger leaders in Parliament, civil service, and civil society changing the way policy is made and politics are run in the nation, particularly in relation to old divisions of race and religion and new ones of education and class?
- How are political parties seeking to capture the youth vote?
About the Speaker
Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad is Vice President of the People’s Justice Party (PKR) Malaysia and MP for Setiawangsa, Kuala Lumpur. He was PKR Communications Director (2010-2013), PKR Youth Leader (2014-2018), and Chief Organising Secretary (2018-2022). He was also the first Pakatan Harapan coalition Youth Leader (2017-2018). He was Chair of the Defence and Home Affairs Special Select Committee (2019-2020) and is presently a member of the Education Special Select Committee. He received his education at the Malay College Kuala Kangsar and read law at King’s College London (KCL). In the UK, he was active in various organisations, including the KCL Malaysia Singapore Society, KCL Labour Students, the National Union of Students, and Federation of Students Islamic Societies.
