MALAYSIANSKINI Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman arrives at Malaysiakini decked out in a black blazer and slacks. A tad formal for your average youth, but he is no ordinary young man.

By next month, the part-time lecturer at Universiti Islam Antarabangsa – the youngest at the varsity - will have travelled to 25 countries as an international debater and youth development trainer.

It is clear to see the debater in him.

His hair neatly combed back, he speaks clearly but quickly, moving swimmingly from one topic to another, one point to the next, punctuated by occasional gesturing.

He leaves little doubt over where he comes from. On his lapel are pins of his alma mater, Royal Military College and the Global Movement of Moderates.

And just a few months shy of 23, the proud Johorean juggles his day job with work as a researcher for the Johor Menteri Besar’s office and the national consultative council on political funding, where he is the youngest member.

Those in the debate scene will know him as Asia’s best debater, crowned as such at the United Asia Debate Championship in May, but it was his Facebook post telling off Nurulhidayah Ahmad Zahid, the deputy prime minister’s daughter, recently put him in the spotlight.

In his own direct yet polite way, Syed Saddiq ( photo ) reminded Nurulhidayah that freedom of speech is not only the right of the elite. Nurulhidayah had condemned Bersih 4 protestors.

From freedom of speech to keyboard warriors, and what he hopes for youths today, here is what Syed Saddiq told Malaysiakni , in his own words:

MY MUM is an English schoolteacher and my dad was just a pekerja buruh (labourer). I was the youngest of four children. I'm from Johor, I'm very proud of Johor.

I WAS THE EPITOME OF BIGOTRY . I was a racist, an Islamic extremist, homophobic, I was everything.

But then when I entered Royal Military College, I started to change and then when I entered debating. It compelled to read up on as many things as possible to challenge every single thing which I've learned before. I think that liberated me from the clutches of bigotry.

I LOVE DEBATING so much that I'm addicted to it. A lot of people would say I'm a part-time student and a full-time debater. That's my passion.

And it's not just about speaking, it's actually a lot more about critically analysing everything which is provided to you.

When I first started out, Malaysia wasn’t an international debate powerhouse.

If I'm to summarise where we are now, it is now very concrete that we are number one in Asia. The debating scene has become such a rich culture, especially with government backing and private banking.

YOU'LL ALWAYS SEE PEOPLE SAYING, ‘Oh, but Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak ( photo ) said debate is not our culture’. It is our culture! The fact that we are arguing on Facebook and in comments sections is indicative that debate is our culture. We like to argue, people. Debating is just arguing, even in a coffee shop.

If could meet the prime minister, I would tell him please retract your statement and say debate is our culture.

I'M PRIVILEGED because I'm given the opportunity to join debate in which allows me to debate on any issues, even the most controversial.

Unfortunately, in many public universities, that platform is not accessible to other students. That liberty (for debaters) is not shared with other students. Debating shouldn't be an exclusive platform; it should be an inclusive one.

I have benefitted from accessing freedom of speech, it is therefore my responsibility to ensure others can benefit from it too.

A lot of people don't get that. They'll go: ‘I want freedom of speech, I want freedom of speech. But not you, or you, or you.’

Freedom of speech should not be selective. Disagreements don't mean I can impose my views on you. I do not think the red shirt rally represents me as a Malay-Muslim, but just because I disagree with it doesn't mean it can't happen.

IT'S ALWAYS THE SAME PEOPLE (speaking up), from both sides (in Malaysian politics). You'll see (Umno Youth chief) Khairy Jamaluddin and (PKR secretary-general) Rafizi Ramli ( photo ). But where are the others?

They speak in Parliament, so I’m pretty sure they can speak elsewhere. Even if it means humiliating yourself, you are an elected representative, you need to air your views on public platforms.

ONE THING WHICH I DISLIKE is that the views in Malaysia are so heavily polarised. Either you are pro-government or pro-opposition. I should be able to be pro-candidate. I don't think that is a controversial thing.

Everyone is Umno are crazy and racist and everyone in opposition are DAP pigs. They think it's funny but it's not. Labels are everywhere but there are people in between. We should celebrate those people who are in between.

WE SHOULD NEVER TOLERATE INTOLERANCE . All members from both sides (of the political divide), no matter how politically un-strategic and inconvenient it is, should be the quickest in speaking up against any racial sentiments.

As soon as that (racist) statement was made, they should condemn it. Once you do not, it normalises it. And then it becomes a culture that becomes deep-rooted and cannot be stopped.

NOW POLITICS IS SEEN TO BE A DIRTY WORD , especially in the current political climate. I do not think politics is a dirty word. It's actually often a launching pad for youth representation which is critical in any country.

I've worked with politicians from both sides and I hate it when they say this: "Saddiq, in the end, the youth do not matter that much because only one out of eight youths end up being politically engaged."

It becomes a vicious cycle. The youths think the politicians do not listen to us so they become apathetic and then the politicians think they don't matter and so on. I think it has to stop.

BEING A KEYBOARD WARRIOR IS NOT A BAD THING. It's still better than previously, when we were not even politically conscious.

At least now we see people who care what's happening around them. But the next step is to how we translate keyboard warriors into actual policies and outcomes.

JUST BE POLITICALLY-CONSCIOUS. VOTE. I do not care who you vote for, as long as your opinion is registered, that is critical. Only then will our voices be heard. It's not enough for us to just complain, complain, complain.

The youth are definitely prepared (to take over leadership roles). We're prepared but we're just exhausted at this point in time.

We feel a sense of futility but that sense of futility should not overwhelm us. It is when we give up that it becomes easy to divide us and our representation gets worse than it already is.

 

 

MALAYSIANS KINI is a series on Malaysians you should know.

Previously, in the series:

‘It’s not punk rock, it’s punk ideology’

Paramedic goes ‘white to black’ to lead medic team at Bersih 4

Siti Aishah – from blogger to youngest senator

A lawyer hooked on ‘the perfect murder’

DAP ideology suits rapper Edry just fine

A PKR Youth leader and a reluctant politician

Documenting convicts reborn through dance

Lawyer inspired by book found in dustbin