Our future lies in youths
Young M’sians shine as they speak up for a better tomorrow
FOR the next few months or weeks to come, the discourse among the people will be dominated by the general election.
Political parties from both sides of the divide will make last attempts to win the hearts and minds of the voters.
Come D-Day, Malaysians will decide who they think can give them a better life today, and for the foreseeable future.
This is the moment which will shape Malaysia for the next five years and make or break politicians.
As a father to three young children, what is of utmost important to me is the future we leave for them and a life that is to be far better than the one we have right now.
This clarion call is what drove me to embark on the TN50 journey last year.
When the Prime Minister first came up with the TN50 initiative and gave me the mandate to reach out to young Malaysians, I did not know what to expect.
And scepticism was abound. Some said that millennials are too individualistic or self-centred to care about the fate of the country and that Generation Y is too busy with selfies to see what was going on around them.
Others pointed out that it would be too difficult to project ahead by three decades; why are we looking so far ahead when we are still debating on what we’re going to do today?
What started in Universiti Malaya as a thought experiment in crafting public policy has turned into a national movement of young Malaysians, by young Malaysians, and for young Malaysians.
In just a year, young Malaysians from all over the country came together to collectively aspire for the Malaysia that they want.
Almost two million people engaged with more than 60,000 distinct aspirations collected through dialogues, online platforms, smallgroup discussions and many other channels.
These numbers did not stop there
Through online platforms, young Malaysians contribute to various discussions towards a better future, overcoming the negative quick-to-judge, bullying and poisonous culture that our social media scene has been known for.
and are increasing by the day.
But the sheer magnitude of these numbers does not do justice to young Malaysians.
When I travelled the width and breadth of the country, week in, week out for TN50, and saw the quality and the passion of these debates, I was truly inspired.
Thousands of Malaysians spoke about what they want in 2050 from quality education, a stronger national identity to equitable development across the urban-rural divide.
Those who attended smaller group discussions did their homework and debated contentious topics in depth, passionately yet in a civil manner, befitting of the developed society we are poised to be.
Through online platforms, young Malaysians contribute to various discussions towards a better future, overcoming the negative quick-tojudge, bullying and poisonous culture that our social media scene has been known for.
It was during this journey that I met young Malaysians who chose to do something positive for the country.
I met Ganesh Muren and Nadhirah Rifai, who decided to spend their time helping those in rural areas to have access to better infrastructure and a higher quality of life.
I also met Firdaus Ali, a 16-yearold student from Johor, who travelled to KL to push for digital skills in schools so that his generation will be ready for jobs of the future.
The likes of June Yap, Faisal Ariff and Dzameer Dzulkifli pioneered improvements in early childcare, immigration and education, respectively.
These are just some examples of young Malaysians who are doing something positive for the country.
They break the mould in how we tend to (unfairly) view young Malaysians; they are not armchair critics or self-centred.
They are stepping up to be the change they want to see.
TN50 was a meaningful journey for me.
Last year, young Malaysians were asked one simple question: “What is your aspiration for Malaysia in 2050?”
Tonight, the youth of Malaysia will present their collective aspirations.
It marks the end of an exciting journey for me but more importantly, it will signal the start of a new milestone for all Malaysians.
The future is now and it belongs to all young Malaysians.
Our youth is ready to lead us into this journey towards 2050.
I grew up looking forward to Vision 2020 – a government-led vision focusing on macroeconomic targets anchored around a high-income Malaysia, just as my parents grew up in the era of the New Economic Policy which strived to build a more equitable Malaysia.
Now, my children will grow up looking forward to TN50 – a youthled vision shaping Malaysia which aims to leave no one behind.
This continuity is what drives us as a nation – beyond our imperfections – as we continuously strive to punch above our weight with one eye on the present and another on the future.