Young Malaysian Voters: Headache And Excitement In Choosing

KANGAR (Perlis, Malaysia), Nov 11 (Bernama) -- Many young Malaysian voters are having a tough time worrying about which party to choose in the 15th General Election (GE15) on Nov 19, which is only nine days away. For Rujidah Mulah, 24, a clerk at a private company here, just like her peers, she was tired of being a 'spectator to the political drama' of the national administration, which changed rather frequently in the last few years. “To be honest, I'm still confused about which party to choose. What is important is that we young people want a government that is strong and stable, and concerned with the issues of young people,” said the first-time voter. She said that only a stable government after GE15 can solve the problems facing the people, both economically and politically. “Before this, I could only see other people going to vote, but this time I felt excited because this is my opportunity to decide the future of the country,” she said with a smile. Also sharing a similar sentiment is Chong Kah Vui, 23, who expressed his excitement to be able to fulfil his responsibilities as a voter for his constituency in Tawau parliamentary seat, Sabah. “I am willing to spend my savings amounting to more than US$216 (RM1,000) to buy a flight ticket back to my village in Kampung Sin Onn, Tawau (in east Malaysian state Sabah) on Nov 17, because voting only comes once every five years. “The government that will be elected this time needs to prioritise the voice of young people, because our generation is the one that determines the country's direction," said Chong, a final-year student at a public university. For Nurul Azlan Ahmad, 25, what the country needs most right now is a strong and stable government to stop all the instability of the past four years. “The emergence of new political coalitions, such as Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA), opens up more options for us, to compare which parties are fit to govern the country, than before,” said the food trader. The Election Commission set the polling day on Nov 19 and early voting on Nov 15. -- BERNAMA