YOUNG people matter in shaping the society of tomorrow, so it is imperative to understand the current situation of youth development. The impact of Covid-19, the global economic downturn and rising unemployment have left the youth with a bleak future.
In many cases, today’s youth in Malaysia lack vision and career paths. We have seen how school-leavers are uninterested in further studies but become involved in illegal activities like drugs and “rempit”. Thus, many are wasting precious time on futile activities.
The underprivileged youth, in particular, have sacrificed their dreams to care for their sick parents or family members. And rising unemployment and low wages have only exacerbated their problems. No help avails them, and there is not much left to thrive on.
The sheer lack of youth participation or involvement in public discourse has prevented them from being able to express their thoughts and ideas on various issues. Suppressing their thoughts has only instilled them with fear and mistrust of society. This is associated with other problems such as ignorance, rudeness and apathy.
Youth empowerment is diminishing as they often seem to be immature and know nothing about current affairs. More often that not, we neither appreciate them nor encourage them to think for themselves. The youth have become inferior and afraid to make mistakes in order to learn a lesson. The nation’s innovativeness and creativity have been stifled due to their limited mindset.
According to the Malaysia Youth Index, the period from 2015 to 2020 showed a decline in the annual satisfaction rate, while the political socialisation domain experienced a drastic drop. This implies that the Malaysian youth are unhappy about speaking their mind openly and in public. This only stifles their ability to be brave and courageous in standing on their own two feet.
The generational gap between the young and old is also widening due to the inability to discuss and exchange ideas and thoughts. This has only worsened, with the negative social stigma that the young are reckless and untrustworthy.
Research shows that positive dialogue with adults can benefit young people, by helping them to acquire the skills they need to thrive in adulthood. The 2021 Youth, Voice and Development Report identified how “the lack of representation/voice, unfair governance, conflict and other factors contribute to a perceived and real narrowing of young people’s options and perspectives”.
The voice of the youth is an essential part of societal growth and well-being. Promoting projects such as service-learning programmes will require the youth to become proactively involved in planning, implementing and problem-solving during their experiences. This would gradually promote meaningful involvement, an ability to connect with others, self-discovery and empowerment, all of which would lead to more positive outcomes for the youth.
Providing programmes that offer appealing youth activities are important for attracting harder-to-reach adolescent populations.
Youth empowerment is critical to shaping the future of society. Youths need to develop a supportive relationship with adults to unearth and explore their interests, and test their ability to challenge themselves.
Therefore, offering the youth platforms to encourage their involvement in society will give them a chance to practise empowerment. The adults must be willing to guide and encourage both youth empowerment and skill development.
Dr Sheikh Ali Azzran, Senior Lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara, Shah Alam. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com
