COMMENT | As Sabah rushes toward its 17th state election on Nov 29, young Sabahans are once again confronted with a troubling reality: although our leaders love to champion “youth empowerment” in speeches and campaign rallies, the actual systems governing our lives continue to overlook us.

The recent disruptions to academic schedules, graduations, and student plans reveal not only logistical mismanagement but a deeper disconnect between political decision-making and the real-world lives of young people.

Youth are the present

Politicians frequently praise youth as the future, yet the demographic reality shows that youth are very much the present.

According to the August 2025 Supplementary Electoral Roll...