KUALA LUMPUR – A survey conducted by several youth groups has shown that 80% of new voters are eager to cast their ballots in the coming election, marking a significant interest.
The survey dubbed the Youth Aspiration Manifesto conducted by Undi18, Architects of Diversity (AOD), and UndiNegaraku had polled 3,089 respondents between the age of 18 and 30 on issues and demands for a better Malaysia.
However, the survey also found that while new voters are eager to participate in elections, 41% are unsure of who to vote for.
The survey shows that there is a tight competition for youth support among political coalitions with Barisan Nasional fairing slight better at 15.5% compared to Perikatan Nasional at 13.8% followed by Muda at 11.9% and Pakatan Harapan falling at the last place with only 10.5%.
The report also stated that a vast majority of youth or 63% felt there was a lack of youth representation in politics compared to only 22% who stated it was sufficient.
Similarly, the report also showed that 50% of youth felt there was a lack of women’s representation in politics, while a strong minority of 33% stated it was enough.
As for racial minorities’ representation, the youth were split with a third or 34% felt there were just enough while another third or 33% felt there were too few.
The survey is also part of the #Undi100Peratus campaign, an initiative conducted by the aforementioned groups to drive youth participation in elections with the hopes of achieving 100% turnout among young voters.
This report is the part of a survey that will be released in three parts, culminating with a big picture of what youth care about today on topics such as employment, housing, education, wealth distribution, healthcare, environment, representation, and law and order. – The Vibes, May 25, 2022
