‘A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.’
– Winston S. Churchill, former British Prime Minister.
THERE is something to be said about young people being given positions of power. At the same time, there is also something to be said about having valuable experience and the ability to navigate the challenges that come with that particular position. This is the poser: the young want to be given a chance, but the old are faced with this dilemma. The question is: “Should we give it to them?”
In terms of politics, there have been instances where the young were given such opportunity, probably contrary to popular belief. The thing is they grew old — as everyone would. There was a time when nonagenarian Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the two-time prime minister, was a political greenhorn, being elected as an MP for the first time in 1964 at the age of 39. That’s probably not the age that we commonly associate with being a youth, but he was a young man once. The elder statesman is still very much in the political picture now, despite losing his parliamentary seat in the recent general election. There are many others like him (still in politics) who were given their start at a young age. Perhaps it was their political longevity that carried them over the years and their ability to remain relevant despite changing times, but young people were and are still being given their opportunities, make no mistake.
The current trend whereby political parties are now grooming new leaders is not new. It’s been done before. It is just a trend, whereby every new face that is relatively young is being propped as a “remarkable achievement” by their parties and sort of a value-added brownie point for their political rivals. But then again, it is not a question of age. Yes, we need young people to step up and make their voices heard. Yes, we need young people to be part of the movement to push for change, and yes, we need those fresh faces to contribute ideas on how to make the country better. They can be part of the movement, but then again, those who are leading them should be better. They should possess qualities that befit a leader — being cunning, farsighted, and, more importantly, capable.
What we are seeing now is that the ideals that are being fought for are not backed up with the know-hows to execute them. It’s basically a fight for who has the loudest voice and who makes the most noise. That’s not how you bring about change; it just isn’t. Being idealistic is part of being young; being realistic is part of being mature.
I think the situation with a particular party in West Malaysia, which was established with youth as its foundation, has made many young people reflect on the political realities of the present. This party is now in a battle to prove its relevancy as well as actual support from grassroots. It is contesting in the upcoming state elections in West Malaysia on its own, being relegated now to an unwanted partner by Pakatan Harapan. Many are saying that it was a wrong move to set up the party in the first place. MUDA is in the name, but the question I would ask is, what happens when the people in it grow old? It’s a question that I have not yet found the answers to.
I think the youth who are ambitious and trying to make it in politics should prepare themselves for its realities. Being able to shout, carry placards, and land ‘burns’ by ‘roasting’ others on social media is not the yardstick. They should be knowledgeable, visionary and tactically adept. These are qualities that will allow them to have that sort of political longevity, and with time, allow the public to recognise them.
This was exactly the message by Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) secretary general Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, who spoke during a PBB Youth Gawai Raya celebration in Sibu last week. He noted that these qualities have served Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg and Sarawak well. “We need young leaders who are highly knowledgeable, have a more comprehensive mission and vision by looking at the future of this country’s politics from a bird’s eye view, no longer under the shell. The paradigm shift in terms of young people’s thinking and intellectuals is very important in shaping the country’s political atmosphere in the future,” he was quoted as saying.
He also stressed that we should be “jaguh kampung” or village champion, who are only interested in issues that affect us at present or have some sort of tunnel vision. Aspiring youth leaders must also anticipate issues of the future and how they would affect us. They should understand that challenges are meant to be overcome and not shudder at their prospects. We should step outside our comfort zone, debate and deliberate on issues that are not only in the Sarawak context but the national context.
Sarawak is fortunate to have a definitive roadmap towards its future, but the responsibility of building on that roadmap beyond2030 and perhaps towards 2050 is on the youth. They must understand the policies that are being implemented presently and anticipate what lies ahead. There are bound to be newer sectors of the economy as we progress as a society, and we must be in there to remain competitive. Thanks to the policies of the present, we are on track to be a global player in some of these sectors. But we must maintain our stature. That is the challenge for the youths of today and tomorrow.
There is something to be said about opportunities being given, and the youth must grab them with both hands.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of New Sarawak Tribune.
