Selamat Hari Merdeka!!! Whether you’re planning to spend the long weekend stuck in traffic on the way to Penang or queuing in sales on random stuff you don’t need, I hope you have a great time! Sixty-six years on from the start of Malaysia’s independence, I think we should reflect on the progress we have made — and the issues that remain –– in terms of Malaysian democracy.
Me explaining to my parents why I need a half-price IKEA kitchen island and 3 types of robot vacuums to celebrate Merdeka.
Malaysian Democracy’s Progress So Far
Youth empowerment is one of the areas I feel we’ve made the most progress in, when it comes to sustaining Malaysian democracy. The clearest example of this is UNDI18: a movement that successfully lowered the voting age to 18 years old. UNDI18 is actually the reason why I could vote in GE15, along with 1.4 million other young Malaysians. We must now ensure that this expansion of voting eligibility also leads to higher voter turnout rates.
The creation of the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) in 2020 was another huge milestone in democratic youth empowerment. MUDA is a youth-centred political party, and its existence is a sign that Malaysian democracy is becoming more accessible to young people.
The Issues Malaysian Democracy Still Faces
Despite the progress that has been made in youth empowerment, there are unfortunately still many issues within the structure of our democracy. Earlier this year, Malaysia received its lowest score in a decade in the global Corruption Perception Index. The Economist’s Democracy Index labels Malaysia a “flawed democracy” with a low score in civil liberties. Gerrymandering (manipulating election results by drawing biased constituency borders) has also been a big issue mentioned in the US State department’s 2022 Malaysia Country Report on Human Rights Practices.
As per the Democracy Index, Malaysian democracy has generally strengthened since the early 2000s. However, frequent political upheavals in recent years have made it difficult to maintain this progress. The integrity of our democracy is the basis for many other institutions, such as the protection of human rights, and we must get back on track before it is too late.
How we can help Malaysian democracy
Everyone has a role to play in improving our democracy, and below are some options for you to consider!
- Engage with democracy on the local level. Local, district, and municipal councils sometimes offer opportunities to provide feedback on government plans. For example, Local, district, and municipal councils sometimes have opportunities to provide feedback on government plans. For example, DBKL invited public feedback for the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2040 in April.
- Advocate about social issues. Organize peaceful protests, sit-ins, teach-ins, and other forms of advocacy-related events to spread your message. Just be sure to check the relevant rules and be safe.
- Stop the spread of fake news. Misinformation and disinformation are sadly very common on social media, especially in terms of political news. If you see any post that is not factual, report it! It only takes a few clicks.
- Push for political literacy. Schools should place more emphasis on educating students about the political system and civics, in order to ensure that voters understand who and what they are voting for. There are many ways to approach pushing for political literacy, from campaigning for civics education to simply staying updated on Malaysian politics.
- Vote if you’re above 17! Now that more young Malaysians are able to vote than ever before, we must make use of this opportunity. Whether you do it in person or by mail, be sure to cast your vote in the next election.
Whether you choose one (or more!) of the ideas above or try something new, I hope you feel empowered to help strengthen Malaysian democracy. Personally, I will continue voting and using platforms like this to advocate about social issues. Have an amazing Hari Merdeka!
READ >> Democracy Is About More Than Just a Vote
