The Ruling Party & The Youth…

April 21, 2009 – 11:22 am | by admin

The ruling political Party in Malaysia since Independent is the coalition party BN and UMNO is the leading party. I can say since I was born (1979) , I live in harmony and a very peaceful nation. I just heard bad things like terrorist attack, dictatorship, ethnic cleansing and Coup d’état at other countries in television. Since I know how to read till my teenage life at the University, I never actually follow the political updates until somewhere in 1998 where some political crisis that change Malaysian politics landscape till now.

Now the ruling party is still the coalition party BN and UMNO is still the leading party but it’s power are cut into half by the people in last year general election. I can’t really imagine the biggest coalition party with long history since the forming of the nation was hit with its biggest lost in history. The lost make the opposition also in shock because they also never imagine such huge win. After that the opposition party keep on winning every small state election. From what I can see the opposition now winning the cyber war. They utilize Internet very well using all present popular web application especially blog, news feed, social network site, forum and e-mail.

Now the trend to support the opposition party are increasing among the youth and the young people. Thousand of them are using the Internet. Now the Ruling Party especially UMNO are realizing this phenomena and it’s like every leader in the party are trying to get their own domain name. But the reality is, to get their attention back is not as simple as that. We can see many of this young generation writing with their heart. It is a voluntary act. Not driven by money or hoping for something in return. The truth is, those guys are really serious to change the current government!

I can talk little about UMNO because I’m Malay, the rest of the coalition party like MCA for Chinese and MIC for Indian maybe have different kind of problem within their ethnic. For Malay, there is a practice that if you are a kid, then you must not interfere with the older guys business. That is what happen to the young, they expect that their voice will not be heard by their own community leader or ‘The Honorable One’ or ‘YB’ in local term. Usually they will see this ‘YB’ is only swarm by some sort of party people everywhere they go. They think if you want to see the ‘YB’ you must be lick spittle like the certain group that swarming the ‘YB’. So they think if you are 20 or 25 years old ordinary guy with no party post and still not registered with the party, don’t think the ‘YB’ will look at your face.

So if the leader have registered his own domain name for a blog then he can win the cyber war? The answer will be no. If they want to read, they want to read genuine article directly from the writer. A sophisticated looking blog with loads of dynamic application, edited picture and have great themes will not look genuine by the politician. To many edited picture of the politician will make them like celebrities. You will not aspect they are doing it by themselves. It will directly involve money as you must pay for the web designer and the writer. Simple blog with blogger.com for example will bring good image to the politician. For this, former Prime Minister blog, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad with his blog chedet will be a good example. Few socio-politics bloggers also got million hit with just plain blogger.com themes and reader are from various background / ethnics. Read Rocky’s bru and his site linking. From the blog we can see many good content even from the opposition leaders that blog by themselves.

Writing genuine thing from the politicians means avoiding to many rhetorical statement. Maybe 30 years ago we can talk with fire about Leadership, Nation Building, Integrity,Humility or Patriotism to the young. Now they just want to hear the truth,the fact and the rational. If can’t do it just say cannot do and why, if you can do it then must give them due date when to deliver. Many not on the ground statement by the politicians making the speech is not genuine from the politicians but its tailor made by someone else. Some one that want to make the leader more clever . Things like this can be easily spotted by the people especially the young.

The conventional way of the politicians to handle the youth especially college/university student also will make great future impact. Usually the government will shut the student mouth by enforcing the Student Act that barred them from participating in any political movement. Any thought or act that can make a provocation to other student like making any political statement especially to the ruling party will face pressure from the University. Since the student are studying in government facilities and receive loan/scholarship from the government, their freedom of speech are denied. But in their head, they said all this belong to the people, all those money are tax payer money and tax payer are not just UMNO. So that are government responsibility to serve all the country. They will feel unfair and some times in the future they will respond it at the general election.

After study they will find a job. Some of them will get an opportunity to work with the government or any government agencies. Then they will experience many corrupt practice and incompetent department leader in front of their nose everyday. There will be many cronies stories. Then they will see how this people will manipulate the system so they can benefit from it but does not look obvious. All peoples money are being used with no sense of sincerity and honesty. The ruling party controlled the government but why they still preserved this kind of people? While the ministers are shouting about transparencies and integrity, we can see this corrupt people everyday at workplace without feeling any guilt.

Protocol make the relationship with the youth more worst. Political leaders are like using a youth proof vest woven by this protocol. You can’t talk shit in front of you this people, because you will not be entertain.

I think to approach younger level of voters does not need big bucks and Nation launch campaign with million of RM being spend. Every local community leaders just work on the ground and leave their back office to the clerk. Just drink at the coffee stall, pray at the local mosque,have a walk at the neighborhood and listen. Do it as an everyday SOP. I think maybe the youth will start following. I am not talking to ‘YB’ since last general election yet…do you?