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Election official |
Youth will be key at the ballot boxes, both in terms of voters and candidates.
Betting on change, Malaysian opposition parties have been appealing to voters below the age of 35 years. The hope is that the generally apathetic group will give vent to some discontent or vote to losen the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition's 50-year-old grip on power.
The youth vote is important especially they make for almost half of the electorate and have shown as they did in 1999, that they can deliver a sting to the establishment when motivated to vote.
"We believe there will be a repeat of the opposition swing in the youth vote in the coming elections," said Salahuddin Ayub, head of the youth wing of PAS, referring to a 1999 protest vote that cost the coalition 14 seats and the loss of a key oil-producing state to PAS control.
PAS, an Islamic opposition party is hoping that the 2008 polls will see it wresting Terengganu from BN. "We are optimistic that we will see a swing in the youth vote in our favour in the coming election," said Salahuddin.
The party has again teamed with Party Keadilan Rakyat formed by sacked deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim and both parties have launched together a youth election manifesto.
In addition, fresh faces such as Nurul Izzah, the 27 year old daughter of Anwar Ibrahim, are stepping out. The "Reform Princess" who became a public figure during her father's arrest, is running in a three-corner fight for the Lembah Pantai Parliament seat.
Within the Barisan Nasional, coalition partners such as the MCA have openly stated that old faces will be making way in the general election.
Pulling the youth vote within the ranks of UMNO is Khairy Jamaluddin, the son-in-law of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and Barisan Nasional Youth deputy chairman.
Making a direct appeal recently to young voters, Khairy said only the National Front party or Barisan Nasional could fulfil its election promises and warned that the opposition would turn the country into a welfare state that would burden the people as it would increase the country's debts.
Badawi,who is leading the BN is considered certain to win but not anywhere close to his 2004 victory of 90 percent of parliamentary seats.
The reason is partly due to young voters who embraced his pledge to tackle corruption and open up government but have been left waiting.
Angry youth formed the bulk of street protests in the capital last year, including two of the biggest in a decade on the issues of electoral reform and race relations.
But a straw poll among young Malaysians has revealed that a number of them are resigned to the inevitability of yet another win for the coalition that has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957.
"I have not registered, but it doesn't make a difference because everyone will vote for Barisan Nasional," said Irwan Zaili Ariffin, 25, a motorcycle despatch rider. "Who is going to care so much about my vote?" he asked.
Johann Hashim, a smartly dressed 27 year old events coordinator believes the Barisan Nasional could be doing better but doesn't trust the opposition to offer an alternative.
"I don't trust the opposition parties with doing a better job because they have no experience," Johann said.
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