Anis Syafiqah says three groups of youth have emerged following Pakatan Harapan's decision to name Dr Mahathir Mohamad its prime ministerial candidate.
PETALING JAYA: Anti-establishment youths who were involved in the protests against Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2016 are now split over Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) decision to name Dr Mahathir Mohamad as its prime ministerial candidate.
Student activist Anis Syafiqah Yusof, who led the “Tangkap MO1” rally in August 2016 to press for action against Najib in the wake of investigations into 1MDB funds in the US, said youths were split between those willing to give Mahathir a chance, and those who oppose the former prime minister’s return to office.
A third group, said Anis, is made up of disillusioned youths who had become more politically aware following Mahathir’s role in the opposition alliance.
“The decision has roused many of the youth who previously couldn’t care less about politics in the country because whether you’re politically aware or not, everyone knows Mahathir,” Anis told FMT, without revealing her own stand on the choice of Mahathir.
On Jan 7, PH announced Mahathir as its prime ministerial candidate, while pledging to clear the legal path for Anwar Ibrahim to replace him should the coalition win the next polls.
The decision received unanimous agreement from all four PH parties, but was criticised by Barisan Nasional leaders as well as opposition activists.
Anis said youths who opposed Mahathir were small in number but influential, adding that they were now campaigning for a boycott of the next general election.
“They remember some of the more negative events that occurred during Mahathir’s reign and they don’t want a repeat of that,” she said.
But Anis said they were being countered by those who want to give the opposition a chance.
“These youths are just as politically aware and want people to come out and vote. They want to see a huge turnout on voting day.”
Youth indifference to politics and their refusal to register as voters have been a worry for opposition leaders, who are banking on them for support at the next polls
As of February last year, the Election Commission said some 4.1 million Malaysians, 45% of them from the younger generation, had yet to register as voters.
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