Undi18 launches activism movement UndiNegaraku
Malaysian youth movement Undi18 has launched the UndiNegaraku campaign that aims to cultivate 10,000 youth leaders by 2023 via training and leadership opportunities.
Undi18 co-founder Tharma Pillai described the campaign as a “socio-political non-partisan activism movement” comprised of subsidiary groups in each state.
“UndiNegaraku seeks to build a...
Malaysian youth movement Undi18 has launched the UndiNegaraku campaign that aims to cultivate 10,000 youth leaders by 2023 via training and leadership opportunities.
Undi18 co-founder Tharma Pillai described the campaign as a “socio-political non-partisan activism movement” comprised of subsidiary groups in each state.
“UndiNegaraku seeks to build a Malaysian identity. For far too long, our politics has been centred on ethnic, religious, and state-based differences.
“Therefore, we should return to the objectives of the Rukun Negara seeking to build a society based on unity, justice, democracy, openness, and progress,” he said.
He was speaking today at an Undi18 panel for the launch of UndiNegaraku called ‘Value-Based Organisations: The Case for UndiNegaraku’.
Tharma said the difference between this and other Undi18 campaigns was that other campaigns had more specific targets.
However, he said this campaign aims to provide the tools necessary for the youth to prosper.
“The fundamental idea of UndiNegaraku is to create structures that enable change instead of specific movements.
“For instance, with Undi18, we were very specific about wanting to amend the Constitution to lower the voting age in Malaysia. This leads to a smaller group of people and volunteers pushing towards these causes.
“UndiNegaraku is an attempt to replicate larger structural platforms to ensure there is space, opportunities, positions, and a sense of ownership,” he said.
Other ongoing campaigns by Undi18 include MyHutan, Tenaga Belia, 111initiative, Senate 18, Undi Saksama, Undi Sabah, and Undi Sarawak.
Providing an alternative to joining political parties
Architects of Diversity co-founder Jason Wee, who was also on the panel, stressed that UndiNegaraku was the best alternative to political parties for newcomers dipping their toes in the political scene.
“In most parts of the country, the only way to contribute (in politics) is to join a political party. Political parties are not the best platforms to learn values through multiple lenses — to critically assess why one believes in a set of values and what they stand for.
“When placed in an organisation with set goals of gaining political power to some extent you only receive information and knowledge to strive (for) that goal.
“UndiNegaraku allows for a platform with a safe space with other youth without committing to any particular cause which is way more welcoming towards individuals who don’t have their political ideologies sorted out yet,” Wee said.
The campaign is open to all Malaysians between 15 and 35 years old. Interested applicants who are inclined to politics and social movements may register on the UndiNegaraku website free of charge.
Tharma noted, however, that due to the lack of fees, those who register will be subjected to a screening round and basic introduction to ensure commitment to the organisation.
“We are looking for 10,000 young Malaysians who will become changemakers of democracy. They will become future MPs, assemblypersons, activists, think-tank leaders, and entrepreneurs,” he said.
Undi18 previously advocated for the amendment of Article 119(1) of the Federal Constitution to reduce the minimum voting age in Malaysia from 21 to 18 years — a bill that was passed in 2019.
The Malaysian government was ordered to implement the lowering of voting age by Dec 31 this year.
The implementation of the 2019 constitutional amendment would bring roughly 7.8 million voters into the electorate by 2023.
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