Seems to give a whole new tangy flavour and sizzle to politics, doesn't it?
NEW STRAIT TIMES (English daily in Malaysia)
2008/01/06
NewsFocus: 'I'm pro nothing, but Malaysia'
Sarah Chan and Michelle Gunaselan (right) are members of a Facebook group named VotED who take politics very seriously. |
'Apathetic', 'ignorant', and 'lazy' are labels hurled at Malaysian youth who are shirking their citizenry responsibility this coming election. But there are also those who make spreading political awareness their task, albeit in a less conventional way. The cyberspace, after all, doesn't just belong to the converted few
Come weekends, the girls will hit clubs and party till the break of dawn.
And in-between sipping vodka to the thump of the house music the pair will ask other clubbers if they have registered to vote in the coming election.
Behind the party animal mien are two young people who take politics very seriously.
"People don't understand that politics pervades every aspect of their life.
"Whether you study in a private or public institution, what your first job is, what your salary is, the price of the shirt you bought from Topshop -- they are all political decisions."
On nights when they are not shuffling on the dance floor, the duo attend political forums.
They, in fact, lent support to the people of Myanmar at a candlelight vigil before hitting a trendy nightspot in October last year.
Despite being in the know of the country's social development, Michelle and Chan said they did not know enough, especially about elections.
"Being in the media line, my friends and I consider ourselves quite savvy in terms of what's happening socially around the country," said 22-year-old Chan, who writes for a magazine.
"We were born in the 1980s, and the coming election will be our first.
"But we have no idea how it works, how the ballot box looks like, how to vote -- we don't know the specifics. We know the issues, but not the process.
"This is quite worrying."
Textbooks, said Michelle, could offer only fundamentals and technicalities, but not other things young voters might like to know, such as who their MPs are, what they are doing for their constituents, and how local elections are carried out.
The women, along with four others, decided to search for answers collectively and also reach out to similar-minded peers.
The idea, mooted spontaneously at a barbeque in November, has now spawned into a Facebook group named VotED, which registered some 500 members within three days.
The account has now more than 800 members, made up mostly of young urbanites who have inked their names onto the electoral roll, or are beginning to take an interest in the political sphere.
In line with the group's aim to educate peers about the voting process, the women had initially planned to hold an event today, but it fell through due to lack of funding and the failure to get a venue.
Contrary to typical political seminars, the event was not to preach ideologies, but to educate young voters through talks, with the incorporation of vibrant lifestyle features such as music and films.
"Older people say that the young are not political, which is true to some extent, but who understands the dynamics better than us?" said Michelle.
Chan added: "We know what young people like and don't like. It has to be education, but in a fun-loving way.
"You know, we are the MTV generation with very short attention spans. It would be like attending a gig or party, but for a different cause."
On whether choosing not to vote should be respected as a right as well, Michelle answered in the affirmative.
"I completely agree with that, but in order to make any decision, one must be educated.
"You can choose not to vote for anyone, but have you completely gone through all the options? Or is it an emotional decision?
"It is a decision all right, but let it be an informed one."
Efforts to find a venue for the event came to naught because establishment owners, linking the group to political associations, were reluctant to host the event.
Chan, in stressing the group's neutrality, said that it ws not affiliated to any party.
"We all have personal opinions, but we're not going to put that into the agenda of the day. The point is education, not conversion."
Michelle added, "The moment you say something, you're instantly labelled as an opposition, that's really unfair.
"As a Malaysian group, we want what's best for Malaysia, and whoever offers us that should get the vote.
"I'm pro nothing, but Malaysia."
from the NST online (www.nst.com.my)
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